A Father's Desperate Chase
by GlitteringEmeraldStar
Summary: One wrong decision, one dreadful night, haunts James Potter forever. But a hint of light always lies within a cloud of darkness - hope. But how far will a father go in the end to find the truth, to save the only surviver - his only family. Full sum Insie
1. Attack at Godric's Hallow

**Full summery: **Halloween night, October 31, 1981. The day that'll haunt James Potter for the rest of his life. He thought he lost everything that fateful night, his family, his home and all his possessions. All because of a single attack from the darkest wizard to ever walk the earth. But fifteen years after the attack, hope blossoms from the unwavering darkness that he has been mercilessly plunged into for so many years. Could it be possible that he didn't loose everything that night? That one thing, one person, escaped the Dark Lord's destruction and lived on to this day? James Potter is on a mission – but how far will he go to unearth the truth and find the one thing he was hoping against hope to find for so long?

**Warnings: **There may be some extreme violence in later chapters as well as some emotional and angsty scenes – you have been warned.

**Disclaimer: **Honestly, do you really think I'd claim to own the FANTASTIC Harry Potter series? If you do, then you are seriously in need of mental help. The amazing J.K. Rowling owns anything you recognise, I assure you. Thankyou very much! =)

Enjoy! Hope you like this! ^^

**Chapter One: **_**Attack at Godric's Hollow – the Prologue**_

_Sirius,_

_How are you? Hope you are well. James and I just arrived back from the park. Harry was so giggly today; honestly, I don't know how we survived all those years without him. He's positively adorable. We would love it if you came and stayed with us for dinner tonight; James came up with the idea, but he wasn't sure about asking you in case you said you had too much work to do. Merlin knows how much work the Ministry is forcing down your throat. It's a wonder you don't faint whenever you come home; James quite nearly scared me on Monday when he looked like he was going to collapse at any moment. Luckily, Harry managed to lift his spirits, but I'm still worried._

_I hope you'll be able to come, even just for an hour or two; your godson has been asking for you nearly all night and I think its about time we saw you more often too. _

_Lily_

__~_~_~_~_~_~_~__

_Lily, _

_I'm fine, absolutely no need to worry about me at all! Sure, Auror work is a handful, but not something Sirius Black can't fix! Hope your okay too – I knew my suggestion would come in handy!_

_I would LOVE to come over for dinner! I just finished the last bits and pieces from the latest Ministry meeting, so I have plenty of time on my hands. Naw, well, just tell Harry to sit tight – I've got a little something for him, that I'm sure will keep him entertained! And give you two some well needed rest, rest assured. I was looking for an excuse to meet up with all of you anyways, so I'll be there at the earliest time! Thanks for taking that weight off my shoulders though – I was going to surprise you, but meh. _

_I'll try and come around about six sometime; looking forward to meeting with you! And tell James to stop stressing; seriously, Prongs needs to take a calming potion every now and then. Don't worry about him though. Ministry's all about stress and exhaustion, you should know that by now!_

_Sirius_

__~_~_~_~_~_~_~__

James smiled as he scanned over the latest letter from Sirius, hazel eyes glinting in amusement when they reached the end statement.

"Well, I have to take a calming potion anyway whenever he comes to work – the way he always slacks around can get on anyone's nerves," he commented with a small chuckle, depositing the letter within the small kitchen drawer that withheld all of the Potter family's memorable 'letter moments'.

Lily laughed softly, vivid red hair whipping around her shoulders in gentle waves as she crossed the kitchen to plant a small kiss upon her husband's cheek. "Well, he is right on some points," she said pointedly, rising an eyebrow at James.

James frowned. "Hey, I don't stress. I merely…erm…" he trailed off, obviously attempting to think of the appropriate words to defend himself.

"Come home and fall asleep as soon as you sit down?" Lily finished with a smile, one of which widened when James shifted in embarrassment.

"Hey, you would too," he returned, crossing his arms tightly across his chest.

"I'm sure I would," Lily replied before turning and exiting the kitchen.

James mumbled something under his breath but followed her nonetheless, allowing the smile to return to his features when he caught sight of his friend and son in the living room.

Harry was seated upon Remus' lap, giggling repeatedly as the man tickled his stomach. His grey eyes, once dulled and exhausted, had a sudden light in them as he held Harry – almost as though the sight of the small child calmed his nerves and made him forget the horrors of what he truly was.

Lily sat down next to him, looking for Remus' nod before taking her son from him. Harry seemed to brighten more at that and he flung his small arms around Lily's neck, still giggling as he clutched onto her hair.

"He gets that from you, you know," James said with a teasing smirk as he sat down opposite the two of them, reaching out to ruffle Harry's already messy black locks. At Lily's confused expression, he explained, "The giggling, I mean." He couldn't help but grin at the mock insulted look that crossed her pretty face.

"Yes, well, I choose to think differently," she said with a slight huff, but she managed to keep her smile in place, earning a shortened laugh from James. The latter man looked down adoringly at his son, whose bright emerald eyes had widened in happiness. A small hand shot out, grasping the air and James instinctively reached back and offered his finger, of which Harry clutched tightly, almost like a handshake.

"He really is adorable," Lily commented with a smile, tightening her hold on Harry slightly. James nodded in agreement, unable to respond when Harry suddenly released his finger and made a grab for his glasses, managing to take hold of the lenses and pulling them off. Remus laughed, amused, when James' face took on a look of surprise, his hands reaching up towards his face and feeling the skin around his eyes.

"Well, at least I know you'll be a good seeker when you grow up," he said with a wink, gently prying Harry's small fingers away from his glasses and replacing them on the bridge of his nose. Harry merely giggled once more, relaxing into his mother's embrace and slowly shutting his eyes, almost looking content with his surroundings.

"You tired, sweetheart?" Lily asked softly, stroking his hair lovingly.

"He was playing an awful lot earlier on," Remus supplied, getting up and stretching out his hands. "Must've tired himself out." He cast Harry one last smile before reaching out for his cloak. "I better get going."

"Are you sure you don't want to stay back for dinner Remus?" Lily asked as James stood, intending on guiding his friend to the door.

"As much as I'd love to, I'm afraid I can't; a lot of work, you know…" Remus shrugged, clasping his cloak shut around his neck. "Maybe tomorrow." He offered her a small wave, which was reluctantly returned, before turning and heading towards the door, James close behind.

"You know Remus, you do deserve a break every now and again," James said wistfully, holding the door open as Remus walked out onto the sunlit streets. He shrugged.

"Perhaps, but it doesn't matter. Its better to get the work over and done with, rather than cramming it in at the last minute, wouldn't you agree?" he added with a pointed look a James. James pouted, his smile returning with a vengeance.

"Hey come on, you know as well as I do that I have more important things to occupy my time with," he responded, nodding back to where his wife and son still sat. Remus merely nodded, rolling his eyes in amusement before waving to James and walking out onto the streets. He cast one last glance around before apparating with a small pop, allowing the light of the afternoon sun to flood the spot that once held his shadow.

"Maybe one day," James said softly to himself as he shut the door, ensuring it was locked before returning to the living room and joining his family once more upon the sofa.

_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_

It was half post six when Sirius finally arrived at Godric's Hallow, knocking pleasantly upon the door with a grin planted across his face. It opened not nearly a second later to reveal a frowning Lily, her eyebrow raised expectantly.

"Okay, so the work took longer than I expect, but hey – I'm still here, aren't I?" Sirius tried to reassure her, adding a wink for effect. Lily merely rolled her eyes at him before stepping to the side to allow him entrance.

"Still Sirius, it would be much appreciated if you learnt to arrive on time for once," she said with a slight shake of her head, heading towards the kitchen after directing the half amused, half confused Sirius to the dining room.

"I _have_ come on time before Lily, you know that as well as I do!" Sirius yelled defensively after her before walking into the room, allowing his smile to widen considerably when he saw James and Harry seated at the foot of the long table.

"Hey Prongs," he said happily, lifting Harry free from James' grip. "And hello, Prongslet! How are ya, little guy?"

Harry merely laughed, pulling at Sirius' dark strands of hair affectionately.

"Padfoot," James greeted with a nod, smiling serenely as he watched the interaction. "Care to explain?"

Sirius frowned. "What's there to explain? Work reared its ugly head in my direction and trapped me in my house all day – I'd rather think that's enough of an explanation. Well, for me it is anyway."

"Always the poetic type, aren't you Sirius?" Lily said as she walked in, the food platters following behind her before spreading themselves throughout the table.

"Tis what I do, kind madam," Sirius laughed before seating himself next to James, Lily taking Harry off him before sitting on her husband's other side.

_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_

Dinner was a pleasant time. The three adults chatted happily about their week while little Harry amused himself with a small toy snitch, whose wings fluttered whenever its golden belly was poked. The little one year old was immersed in silent fits of laughter, which didn't cease even when Lily tried to open his mouth to feed him.

"Are you sure that was wise, Sirius?" she asked after hearing about Sirius' latest assignment, where he had chosen to go against the Minister's word and enter a building complex without any magical aid, wherein lay in wait a Death Eater whose name had yet to be released.

"Hey, I'm here aren't I?" Sirius replied, making a sweeping gesture at his whole body. "Come on Lils, I wasn't really doing anything dangerous-"

Emerald eyes narrowed at that, quieting Sirius' defence in an instant. "Honestly, going in without a wand, you call that 'not dangerous'?"

Sirius shifted uncomfortably and looked to James for help, who in turn merely grinned in amusement.

"It was necessary, alright?" he finally retorted before quickly changing the subject. "Hey, Harry?" Sirius tapped the young boy's chin gently, immediately gaining his attention. "I've got something for you…"

Lily sighed. "Sirius, please don't tell me its like your last present. Remember? The 'mischief toy' as you so pleasantly called it…"

Sirius laughed. "No, no, nothing like that, I swear," he gave James a discrete wink before pulling out a large bag. He reached in, fumbling for a bit before pulling out a small toy owl. It was pure white with dark streaks running down its wings, and looked small enough to fit inside a closed fist. Once released, the owl flapped its wings and zoomed towards an intrigued Harry, who immediately tried to grab it from the air, a bright smile lighting his young face.

"Wow, Sirius, I'm surprised," James said with a chuckle, watching the small toy as it landed ontop of Harry's head, resting on his dark hair. "This is a big change from the usual presents you give him…"

"Hey, he may need one, one of these days," Sirius shrugged, grinning at a suspicious Lily. "Relax Lils, its perfectly safe. It'll even warn you when he's in danger and such. Not that that will happen." He added quickly, waving his hand dismissively.

Lily appeared to relax slightly at that and sighed in defeat. "Fine, Sirius, I'll believe you. He does enjoy it, and as long as he's happy, I am." She stated with a small laugh as Harry clutched at the small owl, which twittered in his grasp before freeing itself and landing on his nose. "Although really, like James said, it is a big change for you…"

Sirius shrugged. "He's growing up, aren't ya?" he said with a small push at Harry's small shoulder, earning him a slap on the hand from his godson.

After an hour of chatting, the small group stood from the table, Lily now holding a sleeping Harry, still clutching onto the small owl as though his life depended on it.

"Your welcome," Sirius said with a wink, ruffling Harry's hair affectionately before turning towards the door. "Well, I best be off. I'll be a walking zombie tomorrow if I walk into work without enough sleep." As if to prove his point, he yawned loudly, earning simultaneous rolled eyes from James and Lily.

"Honestly, Padfoot, if you worked as much as you slept a day then you'd be promoted by now," James commented, earning a mock pout from Sirius.

"Be nice, Prongs," he playfully reprimanded before walking towards the doorway, opening the door with a note of reluctance.

"Well, I suppose I'll see you all some other time," he said with a smile, hugging all of them in turn, Lily and Harry at the same time.

"Soon Sirius," James said with a slight inclination of his head before waving his friend out the door.

"Oh, and one more thing," Sirius added, stopping just at the edge of the street. He turned and gave the two of them a small wink. "Happy Halloween."

_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_

James yawned loudly as he slumped down upon his bed, rubbing his eyes tiredly. Another exhausting day had passed them by, but more was to come if he knew his workplace correctly. He was surprised when the Ministry had not given him the day off for Halloween that morning, but apparently, more and more Death Eater attacks were occurring by the minute. They had to dispose of them before it was too late. James couldn't agree with them more on the topic, but that still didn't rid the feeling of guilt that had plunged into his chest when he left for the day. Not spending enough time with Lily and Harry was killing him. The only positive thing about going back to work was that he got to leave early in time for Sirius' visit. He would've had a serious talk with the Minister if he had missed it.

James was just considering helping Lily put Harry to sleep when the door opened to admit the girl in question, a calm look gracing her face.

"That was a nice dinner," she said, approaching the mirror at the back end of the room.

James nodded in agreement. "Yeah, definitely. With the way Sirius acts, you'd think he never worked a day in his life."

Lily laughed softly, pushing back her red hair into a small bun. "Well, at least he's taking things well, be happy about that." She cast him a knowing look before disappearing into the connecting bathroom, shutting the door with a small snap behind her. James merely rolled his eyes, although kept an expression of immense amusement.

Just as he was about to pull off his socks, James heard a very faint roar emitting from behind the door. Frowning, he stood, hand instinctively reaching for his wand as he approached the doorway. Hesitating slightly, James pulled open the door, looking out into the hallway. Immediately, he walked down to Harry's room, opening it an inch to peek inside. The baby was sleeping soundlessly, still clutching onto the gently twittering owl. Smiling, James slowly closed the door – and that's when he heard it again. It was coming from downstairs – the fireplace!

Cursing softly at his ignorance, James rushed downstairs, stuffing his wand into his side pocket in the process. As he entered the living room, the first thing that caught his attention was the sight of Frank Longbottom's worried face hovering within the flying embers of the fire. James was in front of him in an instant, panic written clearly across his face.

"Frank? What's wrong?" he asked in a rush.

Frank appeared to hesitate, before finally allowing himself to speak.

"James, I am so sorry to call you this late, but your assistance is needed."

James frowned. "For what?"

"A rescue mission," Frank said wistfully, eyes darkening against the flaming background. "Amelia Bones. Her family was attacked by Death Eaters, not five minutes ago. Apparently, they're still trying to fend the attackers off, but are not having a lot of luck from what I've heard. They are…they're members of his Inner Circle, the more stronger ones. We need the best to help, and you definitely fit into that category."

James' face burned at the compliment, but not long after suddenly fell. He glanced behind him, hazel gaze lingering longingly at the staircase that led to the upstairs bedrooms.

"This should only take a few minutes. Please James…they need your help. Your family will be fine. I'm sure Lily will understand."

James, after a moment's pause, sighed in resignation. There was no time to argue – who knew what the family was going through as they spoke.

"I'll be right there," he said defiantly, standing from his crouched position.

"Hurry," Frank said before disappearing.

"Lily!" James called as he walked out of the living room. He could've jumped in surprise when he came face to face with his wife soon after, her worried gaze fixed on him.

"Go. I understand," she told him truthfully, her slender fingers brushing against his cheek.

James nodded, returning the gesture but with his lips before heading for the door.

"I'll be back soon, I promise."

Rushing out onto the darkened streets, James cast one last glance at his wife's still form before preparing to disapparate.

"I love you."

The three words caught James' attention, and he turned one last time to face Lily.

"I love you too…both of you," he replied, moments before he disappeared from view without so much as a pop.

_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_

A truly frightening scene met James' gaze when he appeared at the Bones residence not half a minute after receiving the fire call from Frank. The entire building was up in flames, the screams of young children and the distant yells of spells being cast emitting from within. James exchanged glances with Frank beside him before running forward, a rush of water escaping the tip of his wand in unison with Frank. The sprays hit the fire, extinguishing it – but not before it was ignited again, burning more fiercely than ever.

"They've put a sticking charm on the flames!" one Auror called from the other end, him and his group rushing out to meet them. "We'll try and get rid of it! You have to go in and get Amelia and her family!"

James nodded once before running towards the inflamed door, fear prodding at his heart.

"I'll get rid of the flames," Frank announced, standing back as James stood a mere few feet from the doorway. The water rushed out of the Auror's wand once more, running over the fire. As soon as the flames disappeared, James felt a burst of speed and ran inside, just barely singing the back of his robes as the flames reignited. He cast a single glance back before heading towards the crumbling living room, wand waving above his head to prevent anything from falling on him. Sweat was already glistening on his forehead, forcing his robes to stick uncomfortably to his body by the time he met up with the frightened family. A pale Amelia Bones was clutching onto her two baby children at the far corner of the room, shielding them from the attacking Death Eaters at the other side with her body. Tears were falling uncontrollably down her cheeks, sobs racking her small form. Her husband was standing, sending spell after spell at the Death Eaters, who in turn merely laughed and sent back curses of the darkest magic, most of them causing tears, cuts and bruises to adorn Mr Bones' skin in an instant. He was weak, James could tell. There were at least three other Death Eaters in the room – he couldn't have won, either way.

Eyes narrowed, James sprinted across the room, catching one Death Eater by surprise and stunning him. The other two turned to face the new arrival, their wands swerving around to point at him. Although James couldn't see their faces, he knew that they withheld expressions of surprise and growing anger and amusement.

"Well, well…" one said calmly, taking a near threatening step towards James. "Looks like we have another one to handle; up for it?" he asked his partner, who merely laughed in response before sending spell after spell towards James, each with barely a seconds pause between them. James threw himself to the side, retaliating with his own. Amelia's husband had joined the fight again too, but his spells were mirroring his state, very rarely hitting the intended target.

The stray spells hit against the walls, furniture, and all that remained within the house. It wasn't until five minutes into the duel that James noticed that the walls appeared to be crumbling in, weakening under the impact of the fire and various spells. Panic erupted within him.

"Pity," one Death Eater remarked, appearing strangely calm as he looked around the burning house. "And I was hoping to give you Aurors a reason to fear. Oh well…maybe next time."

James swore the voice had a smirk accompanying it, but he had no more time to think this thought when a fire spell was sent his way. He instinctively jumped to the side, successfully dodging the spell – but it was only then that he realised it hadn't been aimed at him. The spell burst upon hitting the wall, spreading a new surge of flames down the burnt surface towards the shaking mother and children below. Amelia screamed before tightening her hold upon her children and moving quickly to the side. James helped as much as he could, waving his wand to urge them further away with an invisible force. Just as she reached her husband, the flames completely engulfed the spot she had been sitting in not too long ago, spreading at a faster than normal rate. James glanced back and almost swore in frustration when he saw that the Death Eaters had left, taking their fallen companion with them.

"Come on," he said frantically, reaching out to help Amelia to her feet before pushing the four of them towards the doorway. Water escaped his wand tip on a number of occasions, and James had to quickly push the frightened family forward before the flames shot up again with a vengeance. Halfway towards their destination, James' robes caught onto a protruding piece of wood. It streaked across his skin, forcing a hiss of pain to escape him as a deep cut resulted.

"Keep going!" he urged the family, who had turned in shock at his injured call.

When they reached the door, James immediately yelled, "Reducto!" The door was blasted out of the way, allowing the cool night air to mingle with the intensified heat. James quickly threw water down at the flames blocking his path, noting with relief the surges that joined his. That could only mean one thing; the spell had been broken. James quickly ran through with the family, limping slightly and attempting to ignore the stabs of pain that erupted from his injured leg – and not a moment too soon. The house, finally reaching its limit, began crumbling down shortly after they escaped it. The roof collapsed ontop of the first floor, sending the entire building crashing to the ground. The surrounding Aurors spread, water gushing out of their wands to extinguish the flames through the heavy blast of dust that surrounded the rubble. By the end of it, there was only black ash, and soggy, burnt walls left of the large house.

James coughed repeatedly as he headed towards a worried Frank, the Healers behind him rushing to attend to the shocked family.

"You alright?" he asked softly, handing James a glass of water, of which he gratefully gulped down.

"Fine," he answered, although he knew his appearance must say differently. Glancing down, James frowned when he noted the burnt ends of his robes and the ash that coated the specs of skin showing through rips in his pant legs. Blood had seeped into his robes, staining it, but only a small bit. "To be quite honest, I expected to be far worse off."

Frank smiled. "Just be grateful your not," he said with a nod, James returning the smile, albeit a tad tiredly.

"Did you catch them?"

"No, they escaped. Although we did manage to rip the masks off a few of them; at least we have a chance of catching them in the future, now that we know what they look like."

James sighed in relief. At least they'd get what they deserved at the end of the day. Slowly, he glanced around, hazel eyes searching for one person in particular.

"Where's Sirius"?" he asked Frank, frowning in confusion. He was certain his friend would've been called to the scene too. He was an exceptional Auror.

Frank shrugged. "Not sure. He wasn't at his home when I called-"

The distinct sound of someone apparating stopped Frank in mid sentence. Both him and James spun around to face a pale Sirius, his body shaking uncontrollably.

"Padfoot, where-" James stopped as he took in the state of his friend. His robes were ruffled and hanging dangerously off his frame, a few rips visible at the edges. His blue eyes were dulled, despair, pain and unshed tears glistening clearly within their depths. "Sirius?"

Sirius lowered his head, his tears finally breaking free of their restraints to fall slowly down his cheeks.

"Sirius?" James placed a hand on his shoulder, forcing his friend to look up at him again with tearful eyes. All thoughts of the stabbing pain in his leg was suddenly forgotten. "Sirius, what's wrong?"

A deep shuddering breath escaped Sirius as he tried to compose himself to speak.

"James…it…it's…"

"What? What is it?" James grew more worried by the minute. What had gotten into Sirius?

"…Lily…Harry…" Harry's name left Sirius in barely a whisper, moments before his legs gave way underneath him. James just managed to grab a hold of his arms, allowing him a slow decent to the ash covered floor below them,

"What about Lily and Harry? Sirius tell me what happened! Please!"

Tearful blue eyes met frantic hazel ones, pain and fear prominent within them.

"Voldemort attacked your house. Lily…Lily's dead."

* * *

**A/N: **Like any of the writers on here, I love reviews, so I would love it if you gave me the honour of reading a few. Whether it'd be good or bad, I honestly don't mind; as long as its constructive critisism, of course. I am aware that my writing skills are in need of a bit of improvement, but alas, this is what I can come up with at the moment. Hope you liked it so far anyway =)

I will try to get the next chapter up soon! Thanks for taking the time to read!

xxx


	2. Memories Bring Pain

Thankyou to those who reviewed the last chapter! =) A quick update, me thinks - although don't expect it to happen more than a few times. Things do come up that intefer with my writing. But I will try to get the chapters up as soon as possible, nonetheless =P

**Chapter Two: **_**Memories bring pain – Fifteen Years Later**_

The cold dark room emitted an eerie atmosphere that clung to the young boy unwaveringly, seated upon a luscious scarlet armchair positioned near a wide rectangular window, looking out to the scenery of a wide expanse garden that seemed to go on for miles. It was encrusted in sunlight that seemed unable to penetrate the window's glass and enter the shadowed room, dark and frightening at first sight. His long fingers were clutching the arms tightly, skin growing white the pressure as his breathing escaped in short ragged breaths. Fear was prominent within his eyes, glinting in the faded firelight emitting from the two torches situated on either side of his chair, almost like soldiers, preventing him from escaping.

It was deadly silent in the room. The young boy dared not remove his gaze from the window to chance a glance at the motionless figure standing at the other end, his back turned to him. Although he didn't necessarily need to meet the Dark Lord's gaze in order to feel terribly anxious and worried. The silence and his mere presence was enough of a problem.

"So, you allowed them to escape?"

The cold, near hissing voice sent shivers running down the young boy's small frame, forcing him to rip his gaze from the window and look at the now turned Lord Voldemort. Blazing crimson eyes bore into his own as the dark wizard steadily began to approach the boy, dark hair flowing in unison with his dark robes in some imaginary wind, contrasting heavily with his near pale skin.

"No, my lord, I swear of it," the boy replied, attempting to keep his voice calm and collected – although his true emotions were nonetheless still evident within his expression and outlook. "I would never allow them to have escaped willingly. They scraped past my barriers, just barely. Johnson would've been eliminated if B…Black hadn't been there to save him…" His voice uncontrollably choked on the latter name as an influx of emotion attacked him, threatening to burst forth. Luckily, Voldemort either didn't notice or chose to ignore this. His blood red orbs were locked expectantly upon the garden scenery, noting the continuous flow of dark shapes emerging from the shadows of the forest ahead.

"I expected better of you, young one. Do not give me a reason to dispose of you…"

The boy froze at that, eyes widening considerably.

"I swear to you, my lord, I promise I will never allow such filth to escape me again," he said frantically, standing up. "You have my word; I will do anything in my power to get rid of him, once and for all. No one dares betray you and gets away with it!"

Thin lips curled into an unpleasant smile as Voldemort turned his gaze back to the boy; crimson red meeting emerald green.

"Ensure you do, Harry."

The Dark Lord swept out of the room with those parting words, leaving behind the shaking boy.

"I will try…if only for their sake…" he whispered quietly to himself before collapsing back into the armchair, long jet black hair falling to obscure his half closed eyes.

_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_

The crumpled newspaper lay abandoned upon the smooth wooden desk surface, its pictures barely moving with age. A hand clutched the corner of the front page tightly, dulled hazel eyes staring down at the ever imposing headline streaked across the top, large letters appearing to mock him mercilessly.

_ATTACK AT POTTER FAMILY HOME_

_On the 31__st__ of October a truly horrid event occurred. You-know-who made an unexpected visit to the Potter household in Godric's Hallow, killing the occupants of the house. The details of this attack are still being examined, but it has been released for certain that Lily Potter, wife of high ranking Auror James Potter, was brutally murdered within her room. Her body was taken to Healers, who later confirmed the use of the dreaded Killing curse as well as a very brief Cruciatus one. The Potter's one year old son, Harry James Potter, was not found at the scene but the Ministry regret to say that they believe he was killed too at some point. Either that, or was kidnapped, although the possibilities of you-know-who doing such a thing are none according to the Minister. _

_Investigation is still underway at Godric's Hallow to see whether any helpers of you-know-who were there at the time. _

"_Anything we can do to bring justice to this terrible tragedy will be greatly appreciated, I'm sure," said Corneilus Fudge, Minister of Magic during this morning's meeting at the Ministry earlier on. _

_It is safe to say, that after the events of this Halloween night, no one can be too sure about their safety during this time of war. This appeared to be a random attack of such, and is being treated as one until any new information is received. Mr Potter was unavailable to comment on the matter, but one can only guess what he's going through at the moment…_

James felt his eyes shut as he reached the end of the article, his body suddenly shaking uncontrollably. His eyes stung as tears threatened to escape, but he held them in determinedly. He had already cried so many times over the past few years – would he even have tears left to shed?

Shaking his head, James upturned the newspaper, shoving it back into his desk drawer. But not even that could rid him of the feeling of hurt, guilt and overwhelming rage that bubbled ferociously within him. The images, the emotions he held that fateful day came rushing back towards him without a seconds warning, encasing his heart in a cage of despair.

The shock of hearing Sirius reveal that Lily was dead…the rush of fear and denial as he apparated back to his manor...the cry of rage as he lay eyes upon his demolished home, smoke still burning from the shattered windows...the tears that poured down his cheeks as he witnessed Lily being levitated from the wreck, a bag covering her slender body from view…the blind hope as he pushed his way through the guarding Aurors and entered his home…the feeling of his heart shattering and his sanity cracking as he broke down in front of an empty crib, the sheets still ruffled and the small white owl lying motionless upon them, deprived of life…

A yell of frustration escaped James as he forced his eyes open, turning aggressively from his office desk. Upsetting a glass of water in the process, he stood, striding towards the other end of the room. He flung open his door, almost jumping in surprise when he came face to face with Sirius. His hand was raised, obviously about to knock.

Upon seeing the unshed tears and grief filling his friend's eyes, Sirius let out a soft sigh, lowering his hand and shaking his head sorrowfully.

"You were looking at the newspaper again," he said quietly. It wasn't a question.

James merely cast him a painful look before pushing past his friend, enough to force Sirius against the wall with a small grunt.

"James," he called. James stopped but didn't turn to face him. "You can't keep doing this to yourself. None of what happened that night was your fault, I keep telling you this-"

Sirius stopped abruptly when a harsh laugh escaped James, ringing off the walls and alarming a few passing people. It sounded odd coming from him.

"Wasn't my fault?" he repeated, turning to face Sirius with wide eyes. "_Not my fault?!_ It is my fault, Sirius! If I had just been there for them, if I had just said no…" He trailed off, clutching his hair tightly. "They would've…would've still been here…" His emotions seemed to run amuck as he repeated the same words he had been explaining in response to the comfort his friends offered for so many months, years, weeks…

Sirius' eyes darkened as he approached James, placing a comforting hand upon his shoulder.

"They would've still been here…I would've…I would've protected them, with my life, with my…everything…" he continued, his shaking growing violent. James suddenly lost the hold he had on his tears and allowed them to trail down his cheeks, soaking his robes in dark droplets.

"They would've been proud of you James…" James glanced up, clear confusion mingling with his distress. "You saved Amelia's family that night."

James sighed. "The Aurors would've been able to handle that on their own. Anyone could've done what I did…

"Not as bravely and courageously as you though. They had plenty of chances to enter the house, but they were too afraid of getting burnt to have the guts. Come on, James, trust me. I'm sure Lily and Harry are proud of you, as a husband and father…"

James' eyes suddenly hardened and he tensed under Sirius' hand.

"James?" Sirius asked with a frown, withdrawing his hand and looking at his friend in concern. "Are you alright?"

James nodded tensely. "Yeah…yeah I'm fine. Tell the Minister I'm leaving early. Michaels can cover for me…" And with that, James grabbed his cloak and nearly ran to the front doors, leaving behind an extremely concerned Sirius.

_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_

The frost covered grass felt sharp to James as he stepped forward, gaze locked upon the large tombstone in front of him. He shivered discretely as he read the words engraved upon the stone, glinting in the faded light.

LILY EVANS POTTER

_January 30 1960 – October 31 1981_

_Devoted wife and mother. _

_May her spirit live on until the end of time and forever lie in peace and harmony. _

Lily's soul would never live in peace and harmony – not until her killer was finally wiped off the face of the earth. And James, with a sinking heart, had to admit that the chances of that happening any time soon were very slim.

Reluctantly, he allowed his eyes to travel slowly to the side, focussing upon the small gravestone next to his wife's which appeared to vanish any self control left within him.

HARRY JAMES POTTER

James resisted the urge to cry out as the name struck him hard, forcing him to rip his gaze away immediately. That tomb was empty – the stone was there for mere respect. They never found Harry's body, nothing that suggested that he too was subjected to the killing curse provided by Voldemort. James barely stopped himself from lunging at the Aurors when, three months after the mysterious disappearance, they called an end to the searchings. He was certain, _hoping_ that Harry was still alive, still breathing, probably staying somewhere in desperate need. But the Ministry were adamant that a small one year old couldn't have possibly survived the night alone, especially if he was under the care of Death Eaters, or the Dark Lord himself. James admitted that was a fact, but he nonetheless didn't want them to stop searching. The thought that his son could still be around was the only thing keeping his sanity in check – even after fifteen years he was unwilling to admit defeat.

Taking a deep shuddering breath, James slowly turned and began to make his way towards the cemetery entrance. He had already spent half an hour there – everyday it was the same routine. Stopping at the gates, he tilted his head lightly to the side, turning for his usual final glance at his broken family – and that's when an odd sight met him.

A frown made its way upon his lips as James turned fully around, gaze locked with the small form of what could only be described as a young boy by his body size. He was leaning over the gravestone of Lily, fingers brushing against the snow that half covered her name. They seemed to tremble, almost as though he were resisting the urge to cry.

Intrigued and a small bit confused, James stepped forward, unintentionally snapping a twig in the process. The boy froze immediately, kneeling still for a moment more before vanishing from view. He had apparated, silently and without a trace. James blinked at the spot he had been, his curiosity peaking with every second. He was certain he wasn't around there earlier. And he was also very certain he had never seen that boy before, yet there was some kind of…familiarity that he couldn't fully explain.

Shaking his head, James cast one last glance around the cemetery before turning and exiting it, finding a good spot to apparate before returning back to his new home. The grief he was in these years sometimes caused him to hallucinate – perhaps what he just saw was caused by that…

_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_

James slumped down upon his expanded sofa as soon as he entered Potter Manor, exhaustion evident within his expression.

"You know James, you really should take a break from work one of these days…"

Remus' voice broke through James' thoughts but he merely closed his eyes to avoid looking at his friend, the only gesture he gave in response being a simple nod.

"Maybe…but I'd rather not. It's the only thing that takes my mind off…certain things…" He trailed off, hanging his head with barely suppressed emotion. He felt the seat next to him buckle under weight and knew that Remus had sat down.

"It's okay James, allow yourself some peace. I mean come on, you deserve one…us and Sirius will do something together, just for fun. When was the last time you had fun?"

James slowly opened his eyes, the sight of Remus' smiling face catching his attention.

"I appreciate the offer Remus, I really do…but no, thankyou…"

Remus' face fell at that and he emitted a soft sigh, shaking his head sadly at James' still form.

"Well, its always open for you if you ever change your mind," he said softly, rising from the seat.

James merely nodded, shutting his eyes against the blast of afternoon light that shone through the closed curtains opposite him. He heard the trail of a cloak ahead of him and knew Remus was preparing to leave.

"Thankyou for watching the house while I was gone," James added, voice lined with appreciation. He didn't have to look to know that Remus was offering him his usual kind smile.

"Your welcome, any time."

And with that, they bid each other goodbye. The sound of the front door shutting softly behind Remus was the last one heard before the entire house was plunged into deafening silence and James felt his exhausted mind finally give way to the soothing waves of unconsciousness.

_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_

_A blinding flash of green light penetrated his vision, forcing James to sit up in shock. Alert, he carefully looked around his surroundings, hand instinctively reaching for his wand. But his fingers grasped empty air, causing a surge of panic to invade his senses. Where was his wand? He always kept it with him, always! Even when he was sleeping it was always either in his pocket or under his pillow. Quickly, James reached out, intending on checking if it was indeed in the forethought place. But there was no pillow. Only a bare arm rest was his comfort during the night. _

_Frowning, James glanced around – and that was when he noticed the great difference surrounding him. He wasn't in Potter Manor; he was in Godric's Hallow. _

_Fear pulsated through his veins as James jumped to his feet, his thoughts getting lost in a whirlwind of emotion. What on earth was he doing there?_

_Just as that thought flew through his mind, an ear splitting scream suddenly penetrated the surrounding silence, startling James. Breathing heavily, he slowly approached the doorway that led to the staircase, knowing that the scream had emitted from there. Faint banging and the yell of a spell sounded before the door was blasted away, splinters flying in all directions. James immediately tried to cover himself, using his arms to protect his face from the flying shards. But, after nearly a whole minute, he felt nothing. Confused, James lowered his arms and noted the splinters of wood protruding from his skin, drawing a stream of blood that ran down his arm like a waterfall to the carpet below. Although it looked painful, he felt nothing. _

_Before James could ponder this thought any longer, the scream sounded again, now high pitched and clear without the muffling of the door in the way. James immediately streaked towards the staircase, taking the stairs two at a time. Voices were emitting from the last door at the end of the upstairs corridor, growing louder by the second. He detected a note of annoyance within one, fear emanating from the other heavily. _

_James stopped at the foot of the stairs, eyes widened as he recognised the owner of the second voice. _

_Lily…_

_Feeling a surge of energy enter his system, James ran towards the room, halting dead at the doorway when a horrid scene met his eyes. _

_Lily was lying on the floor, motionless, her vivid red hair scattered around her. Her emerald eyes were dulled and lifeless, staring at the ceiling in shock and fear. Tear streaks stained her cheeks, continuing to run down her pale skin before disappearing into the rug below. _

_Although this was horrific, what truly erupted James' fear was the one person standing over his wife's body, a smirk plastered across his thin lips, crimson eyes gleaming in the faded light._

"_Aren't you glad you didn't have to watch them die?" _

_The cold voice of Lord Voldemort sent shivers running down James' back. Suddenly, anger grew within his chest, accompanying his fear. He stepped forward, shaking in barely suppressed rage as the Dark Lord continued to gaze mockingly at him, his smirk never wavering. He was completely unperturbed by the Auror's visible anger, merely watching him in what could only be described as an entertained manner. It was only when James felt the urge to lash out at the man that had ruined his life overwhelm him that he noticed the small bundle held within Voldemort's arms. _

_Startling emerald orbs stared out at him under a blanket of steadily growing jet black hair, blinking in obvious confusion as they glanced to and from James and Voldemort. Harry's small hands were clasping onto the Dark Lord's robes, his little mind obviously unaware of whom held him._

_James' breathing was considerably heavier by this time. He looked up to meet Voldemort's gaze once more, eyes burning with rage. _

"_Let go of my son!" he yelled, loosing all control and rushing towards the Dark Lord. It was only then that he noticed the raised wand, pointed directly towards Harry's neck. With a resounding snap, Harry's small body fell limp in Voldemort's arms, his head moved unexpectantly to an odd angle. Voldemort immediately let go of the child, allowing him to fall unceremoniously to the ground below. _

_James cried out and caught Harry before he made full contact, clutching the baby as tight as he could to his chest. The boy's neck had been snapped – he was dead. _

_Cold laughter rang throughout the room, drawing James back to the cruel wizard before him. _

"…_why…"_

_The single word left him in a whisper, his body already shaking with emotion. Broken hazel met gloating crimson as Voldemort turned, giving him one last cruel smirk before heading towards the door. _

"_The fault lies only with you, James Potter," he sneered before vanishing from sight. _

James woke with a start, sweat dripping mercilessly from his forehead. He panted heavily, eyes wide with shock as real tears spilled uncontrollably down his face. It was a dream – only a dream. Yet it seemed so…real. A shudder ran through his body as James heard the cold laughter, the sickening snap, the lifeless emerald orbs…

Quickly, he shot to his feet, straightening his robes unnecessarily. He had fallen asleep upon the sofa. From what it looked like from the darkness outside, it was only for a few hours.

James sighed as he paced the living room, thinking carefully about his next actions before turning and making his way towards the kitchen. One glance at the time told him that it was nearly three in the morning. But he couldn't sleep again – not after that.

His hand shook as James reached out to grab a mug from the above cabinets, flicking his wand to heat the kettle. He desperately needed some tea. At least it'll help a small bit with his rapidly beating heart.

_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_

Just as the clock announced four in the morning, the fire burst to life, the image of Sirius' face appearing before James as he sat at the kitchen table. Placing down the newly arrived Daily Prophet, James reluctantly stood and walked up to the fireplace, looking down at Sirius with forced calm.

"What's wrong now?"

"What? No good morning?" Sirius returned with a fake pout, earning himself a raised eyebrow from James. He was obviously attempting to act normal for his sake.

"If only it were one…" Sirius' eyes immediately lost their humour and he made to respond, eyes glittering inquisitively within the flames. "Don't worry about it, Sirius. Its nothing…well, serious."

James offered his friend a small smile, receiving one in return.

"Ha, well it better be," Sirius said, giving James one last searching gaze before continuing. "The Ministry requires your presence, Prongs."

James groaned. "What for? Isn't it too early for paperwork…"

Sirius chuckled. "Its not paperwork, it a meeting. Apparently, something's happened."

James was immediately alert. "And what is that something?"

Sirius shrugged. "Dunno. I guess they want everyone to find out themselves at the meeting. But me thinks it has something to do with our dear friends, the Death Eaters and their precious master…"

James' eyes immediately hardened, obviously startling Sirius into stopping his tease.

"James…"

"I'll be there." James cut him off, turning and leaving without a second glance.

"Oh…kay…" Sirius responded confusedly, staring at his spot his friend had just been a second ago before disappearing with a distinct pop.

_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_

James arrived at the Ministry not ten minutes later, his robes crumpling as he ran down the crowded Atrium.

"Morning, James!"

"Hey, Auror!"

Greetings were sent his way constantly, but James either didn't notice or just replied with a nod of acknowledgment or mumbled hello. He rushed towards the elevator before it closed in, squeezing himself into the partially full lift.

"Oh! Good…good morning, James."

The familiar voice caught James' attention, and he forced his eyes to rip away from the closing elevator doors. Amelia Bones was smiling gently at him, paper work clutched protectively to her chest. James smiled.

"Morning, Amelia."

"Are you alright?" she asked after a small pause, eyeing James' pale skin with barely hidden interest.

James found himself nodding automatically. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just the usual morning feeling, you know..." He shrugged, noting how stretched his smile felt. He only hoped that it didn't appear strained to her.

But Amelia didn't appear to notice, instead sending him another polite smile before flicking through her work distractedly. Ever since that night, she had been acting much more differently with him than previously – her reasons were valid, but James couldn't help but feel uncomfortable, nonetheless.

The rest of the elevator trip went by in silence. It wasn't long before the space started to empty, people streaming out to their designated floors with little enthusiasm. Amelia was the second last to leave, heading towards the wide double doors that led to the trial rooms. She spoke a soft goodbye to James, but he hardly noticed. His eyes were fixed upon the doorway. There could be a Death Eater on trial there right at this moment. It gave him some comfort as he reached the top landing, managing to stumble out as a wave of paper memos flew over his head, clipping it rather painfully with their wings.

"Hey! Watch it!" James called after them, rubbing his head in annoyance.

A familiar bark like laugh erupted from near by and James turned to see Sirius grinning at him, waiting by the door to the meeting room.

"Honestly, James, picking fights with paper isn't going to do your sanity any good," he commented, blue orbs glittering in amusement.

James merely rolled his eyes, playfully pushing Sirius to the side and knocking on the smooth wood with a dignified expression. Sirius chuckled before following his friend in as the door was opened by a small pretty witch with bright blonde hair.

"Hannah," he greeted, tilting an imaginary hat and offering her a dazzling smile.

The witch rose a curious eyebrow at him.

"Take your seat, Mr Black," she responded before moving to the back of the room, clicking the door shut behind him with a flick of her wand.

"I think she likes me," Sirius whispered with a discrete wink to James, who merely smiled, refraining himself from laughing.

The door at the other end of the room opened wide to admit Kingsley Shacklebolt, shuffling papers in his hands as he spoke quietly to a following Nymphadora Tonks. She looked immensely worried, her hair a darker colour than her usual bright pink. At the sight of her, James glanced around the room. He felt a sudden pang of worry.

"Sirius, where's Remus?"

"Oh, I contacted him around five minutes ago. He said he had a few errands to run firstly. He'll be here in a few minutes."

James relaxed at that, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Good…"

Sirius gave him an odd look before turning his full attention to Kingsley as the head Auror seated himself at the head of the table while Tonks took the seat at the furthest end, clasping his hands tightly together in front of him. He reminded James mentally of Dumbledore for a split second before his deep voice rang throughout the room, drawing attention.

"Good morning," he started, offering small smiles towards the room's occupants. It was very brief though. "I understand some of the annoyance this meeting has brought, due to how early it is, but I assure you I wouldn't be calling you at such a time if it didn't require the utmost consideration."

Bleary eyed workers immediately perked up at this, eyes wide and alert as they focussed upon the Auror.

"What's happened?" Johnson, a young Auror with an already balding head, asked cautiously from opposite James. His voice was lined with fear and foreboding – mirroring what everyone in the room was feeling, truthfully.

"It's not as such something's happened," Kingsley responded calmly. "It more that we've found some rather useful information on a group of Death Eaters hiding about the outskirts of London."

"You know we're they're meeting?" James asked, his voice rising in excitement.

"We know _one_ of the possible places they could be meeting. However, it is unlikely this is where you-know-who lies too…"

James' face fell at that and he sat back in his chair, looking irritably at the polished floor below.

"However," Kingsley continued, casting James a wary look. "We can be certain that some of his Inner Circle lie in wait there. Which is why the Minister has requested we call this meeting – for all we know, this could be a trap, so we have to be careful with how we approach this."

James, as much as he disliked the Minister, couldn't help but agree and share in his suspicion. It would be unwise to walk into a Death Eater infested place without any planning beforehand.

"We need a plan that will allow us to enter their place without detection. Taking them by surprise will be the only chance we have at capturing all of them at once…"

James listened intently to every word spoken during the meeting, his attention swerving from one person to another with obvious eagerness. He was itching to dispose of anyone who dared side with that monster – anything that pissed Voldemort off was alright in James' book, and he was planning on being one of the few to add misery to his rage, no matter what happened to him in the process.

* * *

**A/N: **I am aware that not a lot happens in this chapter, but I swear things will get more interesting in later ones =)

Review if you have time! Thankyou!

xxxx


	3. Raids lead to harsh discoveries

Thankyou to those who reviewed the last chapter! Oh and in response to Melissa's review; yes, they shall meet very soon =] Sorry, I couldn't reply to you directly.

Enjoy! ^^

**Chapter Three: **_**Raids lead to harsh discoveries**_

James stared down at the newspaper clipping, hazel eyes glittering curiously as he observed the bloodied, pain stricken face of his friend.

AUROR SIRIUS BLACK'S FATAL ATTACK

_Later this morning, Auror Sirius Black was seen discretely exiting the Ministry of Magic with officials Riley Johnson and Alastor Moody. A pair of curious reporters claimed they followed them to simply see if a certain rumour against Minister Fudge was indeed true and they were acting on his orders, the rumour being that he had been secretly meeting up with Goblins to discuss weaponry and attack tactics. But what met their eyes instead was described as 'shocking and horrific'. _

_Death Eaters were attacking a small muggle village just at the corner of an isolated forest route. Casualties were at their highest, and so the Aurors had immediately sprung into action, stunning any Death Eater they found. However, it wasn't long before the Death Eaters realised that not everyone was non-magical…_

_The reporters say that several Death Eaters had engaged a fight with the Auror trio, the pictures of which are on page 3. _

"_It was horrible," Daily Prophet writer Ed Dawson exclaimed as he sat at a press conference this morning. "The spells, the blood, the wounds – they were just so severe. To be honest, I though no one would survive in the end…" _

_The reporters went on in their story to say that the Aurors were eventually separated by the array of Death Eaters. Auror Johnson was blasted to the side and quite nearly killed by what looked to be the youngest Death Eater of the lot. But before he could, Mr Black came up and defended him, pushing the fallen Auror away from the path of the dreaded killing curse. Needless to say that, even without the reporter's word for it, the Death Eater wouldn't have been pleased with this. The full extent of Auror Black's injuries due to his bravery could not be shown on this newspaper due to the severity of them, but it is assured that it is far worse than what the picture above shows…_

James glanced down at the picture, enlarged to show Sirius being helped by two St Mungos Healers to walk towards the doors to the hospital. He looked positively horrid. His handsome face was adorned with cuts and bruises, the more prominent being the heavily purple ones on his eyes and his bloodied lips. Many of the cuts still leaked, sending droplets of blood falling upon the Healer's white uniform as well as the stone steps they were ascending. Sirius appeared to have a limp in his step, a barely visible grimace escaping him with every step. It was obvious he supported many broken bones and sprains – James had never seen his friend in such a state.

"Hey, you ready to go yet?"

Recognising Sirius' cheery voice at his office door, James spun to face him, holding out the newspaper so that the front picture was in clear view.

"Sirius, what is this?"

Sirius glanced down at the newspaper, an eyebrow gradually rising.

"A newspaper?"

James frowned. "You know what I mean…"

Sirius remained silent, and that almost broke James.

"Sirius!"

Sirius sighed. "Look, James, I know you're probably mad about me not telling you about that, but I swear Fudge told us to keep quiet about it…plus, you were already worried enough as it were at the time."

James rolled his eyes. "Typical Fudge. I expect that out of him Sirius, but not out of you. Come on, I'm more worried having just found out about this _two weeks_ after it happened!"

"Exactly! It happened two weeks ago! Look at me, I'm fine!" He performed a small twirl. "Not a trace of a cut, not a trace of a broken jaw. They healed me just fine. Don't worry about it James, we have bigger fish to fry at the moment…"

James didn't respond but threw the newspaper down upon his table top, eyes narrowed and glaring furiously at the front cover.

"I just wished you had told me earlier…"

Sirius gave him a small smile.

"Considering the way your acting right now is already irritating, I'm glad I didn't. You would've been unbearable…"

James sent him a small glare, to which Sirius responded with his usual bark like laugh.

"Come on Prongs. We've got some Death Eaters to catch!"

_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_

Impatience glittered furiously within Bellatrix Lestrange's dark eyes as she stood to the far end of a wide spacious room, a scowl forming upon her red lips as she paced her corner.

"Hurry it up, you pathetic lot!" she screeched, deep purple nails digging into her hands as she moved to gaze out of an empty window frame. "The Dark Lord will not be pleased if we take too long to dispose of you blood traitors and mudbloods!"

"Why should you care? Its not you he'll take his anger out on…"

Bellatrix spun around to meet the grief stricken emerald orbs of her companion. Her hardened expression immediately softened and she instinctively extended a hand, resting it gently upon his stiffened shoulder.

"I know you may think that, but trust me, all of us will suffer the consequences if this goes wrong. But don't you worry, alright? I'm sure the Dark Lord will understand once we tell him that they didn't come when we expected them to…"

"Says the woman who was less than a second ago was creaming her head off."

Bellatrix opened her mouth furiously to retort but obviously thought better of it after a moment, clamping her lips shut with a barely audible pop.

Harry quickly shrugged off her comforting hand, eyes lowered as he avoided meeting her worried gaze.

"And besides, that's no excuse…" he muttered, turning away from her. "Especially to him…"

Bellatrix's eyes dulled in sadness. She made to respond until movement caught her attention, drawing her gaze back to the less than impressive scenery outside.

"They're here," she whispered, making no attempt to hide the eagerness in her voice. Harry gave no visible reaction to her words, merely locking his eyes upon the double doors ahead apprehensively.

After a moments pause he slowly reached back, drawing his wand from the folds of his robes. The tip emitted a strong green light, illuminating the shadowed room and its occupants. Bellatrix sent it a curious glance, but Harry easily ignored her.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered softly before raising his left arm, the Dark Mark etched upon his skin darkening as it called the accompanying Death Eaters to the room. At least twenty entered through the wide doors, raising their own wands in preparation, all the while disregarding their leader's silent

suffering.

_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_

The large building was truly a sight. Its rusted stone walls were barely visible if not for the faint glint the moonlight provided upon their stained exterior. Its numerous windows were either cracked or fully shattered, glass shards hanging off their frames and swaying in the faint breeze. Spider webs covered nearly every vacant corner, their owners sleeping under the cover of a seemingly never-ending darkness. The faint scuttling of rats was audible, echoing against the hallow walls as they scattered amidst the various stains littering the stone floor – stains coloured a rusty red, what they withheld obvious to even the dullest of people. The iron smell was a huge give away.

It was obviously a factory of some sort – muggle made, no doubt. And so the confusion the Aurors experienced as they slowly approached the dilapidated building was excusable. Why would Death Eaters use an old muggle complex for their meetings? Especially considering the fact that they hated muggles more than anything in the world? Although the building looked deserted, they knew for a fact it wasn't. And it was only with this fact in mind that they continued to approach with extreme caution, pushing aside the sneaking hint of suspicion that threatened to overwhelm them, wands trained upon the few doors bolted shut from the inside as well as the various broken windows.

James was walking with Sirius near the front of the building, the shadows of a tall tree obscuring him from view. His eyes darted back and forth throughout their surroundings, narrowed carefully upon anything that moved even the slightest.

"Prongs, mate, I _really_ do think you should've stayed back," Sirius commented with a small frown as he observed his friend.

James returned the frown. "Why?"

"That expression on you face makes it look like your going to kill the first Death Eater you see. Remember, we're only meant to arrest them James, not send them to St Mungos…unless, of course, they force us to…"

James narrowed his eyes further. "The only person I would ever even try and use the killing curse on, is Voldemort himself Sirius…you should know that by now." And with that, he stepped forward, joining the other Aurors hidden beneath a cluster of bushes. Sirius glared at his retreating form before running after him, chancing a quick glance towards the building before doing so.

Kingsley gave the signal to stay put, pulling at the last strands of James' patience.

"Why do we need to wait here?" he asked impatiently as he settled on the nearest vacant spot next to the head Auror, glaring hatefully at the doorways.

Kingsley frowned in disapproval. "Because the Aurors surrounding the building are checking the windows for any sign of the Death Eaters within."

James opened his mouth to respond, but thought better of it. If he wanted to keep his Auror job, then he'd have to keep his temper in check.

Not nearly five minutes after their conversation, Auror Moody and his group arrived, panting slightly from their fast run.

"We checked," Moody informed with a low grunt, magical eyes whizzing around in its socket. "We couldn't see anyone in there…"

"The windows are obviously charmed," James responded dryly, earning a brief look of annoyance from Moody.

"Obviously…"

"We have to move," Kingsley said quietly, edging forward. "This has to be dealt with quickly. Spread yourselves around. We enter from different corners. Wait for my signal." The last order seemed to be directed to James more than the rest, but the young Auror didn't notice. His eyes were fixed on the front doors, glaring daggers at its ragged surface.

The group ran forward, wands waving above their heads to cast concealment charms as a precaution before doing so. James was at the head, sprinting across the withered grass with intensified speed. It wasn't long before he was at the front doors, wand tip digging into the surface as he duck low, resisting the urge to send a spell through the shattered windows above. He glanced over at Kingsley, who was a little further away with Moody's group. The Head Auror gave him a stern glance before raising his hand, three fingers up in count.

One came down, sending the Aurors bowing into defensive stances.

_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_

"Bella?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"Are you wearing your mask?"

"No, wh-"

"Give it to me."

Bellatrix looked surprised at the request, but nonetheless placed the gleaming mask into Harry's outstretched hand. Without a single glance in her direction, Harry rose the mask, observing its heavily designed surface before putting it on, hiding his face from view.

"I told you, you should've accepted the Dark Lord's offer of one," Bellatrix scolded lightly, arching one delicate eyebrow at him.

Harry chose not to respond, determined eyes fixed upon the still shut doors.

_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_

His second finger fell. James felt his heart constrict with anticipation and a sudden force of overwhelming excitement. He gripped his wand tightly, so much so that his knuckles turned white under pressure.

_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_

The Death Eaters crouched low, motionless where they stood. Bellatrix continuously glanced out of the open windows, her eyes glinting with barely suppressed glee.

"I can see you," she whispered, the words coming out in an irritatingly sing song way. Harry frowned but didn't comment, absently stepping back as the sound of a particularly loud footstep sounded through the door. His heart was beating painfully in his chest, threatening to burst out – this was the most nervous he had ever been during a battle. And there was only one reason for it…

_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_

James watched as Kingsley hesitated with the final signal, narrowing his eyes upon the two Aurors who were the cause of the noise before finally clamping down his last finger.

"Now!" he yelled.

The Aurors immediately sprang into action, streaming in from all sides of the building. Yells of 'Reducto!' revibrated throughout the clearing as a stream of red curses flew forward, banging violently into every available door entrance. The doors crumbled under the weight, shards of wood flying in all directions as a gaping hole admitted them entrance.

Almost as soon as the doors were blasted away, a line of acidic green light streamed towards them from the waiting Death Eaters. Not at all surprised, the Aurors dodged the curses, throwing up their shields before running into the small space within.

James took a deep breath before following, sending his first 'Stupefy' spell heading directly for the first Death Eater he saw.

Bellatrix cackled manically as she deflected the spell, sending a taunting smirk towards James.

"That the best you can do, Potter?" she snarled, retaliating with a curse of her own.

James easily dodged it, glaring hatefully at the witch. In an instant, the two were duelling, leaping to and fro in an attempt to avoid the others' spells. James found himself banging constantly into the Aurors and Death Eaters surrounding him, his vision becoming obscured by the whipping cloaks and robes that flickered into his eyes continuously. Bellatrix appeared unfazed by this, never stopping her array of curses, even when quite a few veered off to the side and hit some of her own Death Eaters. It wasn't long before James became the first casualty of their fight, falling to the ground after having collided with a backing Death Eater and inevitably got hit by one of Bellatrix's cutting curses. Searing pain coursed through his left arm as the spell sliced down his skin, sending a waterfall of blood cascading down to the already stained flooring below.

"Aw, look at Potty Potter! Unable to hold a duel with mean little Bella Bella?"

The evil witch's high cackle vibrated in James' mind, showering him with a sudden burst of strength that allowed his wand arm to rise, sending a crackling Disarming spell directly towards the distracted witch. It caught her by surprise, the smile flicking off her face like a lamp as she was sent flying back into the crowds. She disappeared under a sea of red and black, her shriek of rage lost within the shouts of the surrounding people. James inhaled deeply before pushing himself up, clutching his injured arm tightly. His hand was almost instantly coated in red as the continuous flow ran through his fingers, drenching his robes. Even without glancing down at the cut, James knew for certain that it wasn't a normal one. He felt a sudden wave of dizziness overtake him, forcing his stumble slightly where he stood.

_No…not so early in the fight…don't fall unconscious…don't…_

"James, look out!"

Sirius' call forced James out of his haze. Instinctively, he jumped to the side, colliding with the wall just as a killing curse hit the spot he had been standing in only a second ago. A gasp of pain escaped him, but James held back his cries as he spun around to see the cause of his near death.

Sirius was duelling fiercely with what appeared to be a younger Death Eater a little further away, their movements quick and brisk. His face was contorted in pain, his legs occasionally wobbling in exhaustion as he dodged the seemingly nonstop array of curses being sent his way. They matched even Bellatrix's speed, maybe even more. His attacker's movements were graceful, his curses complex and quick – he was obviously a high ranking Death Eater to have been trained so well, despite the obvious age difference.

As James' eyes lingered upon the boy, he felt the familiar sense of recognition engulf his senses. Even though his face was covered by a mask, James had a strange feeling he knew him from somewhere…

However he had no more time to consider what this might mean before a spell flew directly pass his nose, narrowing missing it. He spun around to face Bellatrix once more, her lips twisted into a smile of pure malice as she slowly approached him. Her expression was livid, her skin appearing stretched out to show her annoyance and fury. Her mess of black hair was slick with blood, but she appeared to either not notice or completely ignore the injury. The latter was the more likely answer.

"Now, now – one fight at a time, Potter. I have a little present to return, afterall!" she sneered, eyes flickering briefly towards the duelling boy before she sent another killing curse his way.

James just barely managed dodged the curse – but not before he noted the reaction of the other Death Eater when Bellatrix had screeched his name. Green eyes shone vividly from beneath the mask, and what James saw in those brief few moments of contact shocked him.

Pain, hurt, guilt…

But, as quickly as they came, they disappeared, and a look of pure anger took its place. When the boy turned back to Sirius, his movements were if possible faster than previously, and it wasn't long before he had the older man on the ground, bleeding profusely and near unconscious. The boy pointed his wand directly at Sirius' heart, and James knew immediately what spell he was going to use even without seeing his lips move. He could hear the words, almost as clearly as though they were being shouted…

"_Avada-"_

With a single blasting spell directed to Bellatrix, James leapt forward, tackling the boy to the ground. Blood splattered both of them as James knocked the elbow of his injured arm underneath the boy's chin, effectively forcing his head to hit the pavement below. He tried to pry loose the wand, but failed miserably – the boy didn't even appear to be surprised in the least of his actions. In the blink of an eye James found himself flying violently through the air, crashing heavily into the wall at the other end of the room. He hit the ground with a groan, barely aware of the numerous shouts emitting from his fellow Aurors.

"James!"

Blearily, James opened his eyes to see Kingsley kneeling before him, brow creased in worry.

"Are you alright?" Even by his tone of voice James could tell that his friend was mentally berating himself for asking such a stupendous question.

James nodded nonetheless and tried to sit up. But all that resulted in were numerous stabs of pain coursing through his back and arm. Before he could stop himself, James let out a sharp gasp, falling back against the peeling wall in defeat. His eyes scrunched up tightly, and by the time he was ready to reopen them again, he felt himself being heaved to his feet by two strong pairs of hands.

"You need to go back." Kingsley said softly, the order in his tone distinguishable.

"No. I'll get through it-"

"James please, you need medical attention immediately! Who knows what curse that foul woman has put on you. If you stay, you'll die. Please…we don't want to loose you."

James opened his mouth to respond, but a scene close by distracted him, stopping him from uttering a single sound. Slowly, he glanced back to where Sirius and the boy had been, ignoring the confused looks Kingsley and the two Aurors holding him up sent. Bellatrix had now engaged Sirius in a duel, having lost her other opponent, while the boy was slowly advancing upon the shivering form of an Auror close by. James immediately recognised him to be Johnson.

Almost instantly, the newspaper article he read earlier on before the raid came rushing back to James.

_Auror Johnson…nearly killed by what appeared to be the youngest Death Eater…but before he could, Mr Black…defended him…the full extent of Auror Black's injuries…the __**severity**__ of them…_

Suddenly, James found himself immediately seeing the young Death Eater in a new light. Thinking that was where his feeling of recognition had came from, hate flashed through his eyes. All pain was soon forgotten as he stood, waving away the Aurors' restraining hands.

"James!"

Kingsley's call was lost amidst the shouts and cries of the raging battle as James forced his way through them, determined to help his friends. But unfortunately, he was too late for one.

With a whispered curse, the jet of green escaped the boy's wand, hitting the Auror immediately. Johnson fell back, dead before he hit the floor, pain and fear streaked forever across his face.

James heard a muffled growl and in a streak of red and black, Sirius had charged at the young Death Eater, who reflexively stepped to the side before they made contact. Sirius hit the wall hard instead, but even that didn't stop him from attacking the boy with vigour, spells issuing from his wand with barely a seconds pause between them. James rushed forward to aid his friend, deflecting a cruse from Bellatrix before it hit him from behind. It was two against two as the Aurors fought against the paired Death Eaters, side by side, sending simultaneous curses in the hope of disarming or stunning them. But the Death Eaters weren't about to give up that easily.

Bellatrix taunted them in her irritatingly mocking voice, a sneer spread across her blood red lips as she curse after curse, each narrowly missing their target.

"What's wrong, dear cousin? Lost your touch? I do believe the last time we met you were _much_ more better than _this _pathetic attempt at a fight!"

James tried to ignore her, focussing his attention specifically upon the young boy. He noted the fact that he hadn't said anything as of yet but didn't use that to his advantage – sometimes, the most deadly of people were the quietest in a crowd. But the boy wasn't even sparing him a single glance. His attention was focused specifically upon Sirius, hate glistening within his emerald orbs – eyes that seem _so_ familiar to James…

Suddenly, a stray curse hit the area above the duelling wizards and witch, sending dust descending upon them in almost suffocating waves.

James coughed, forcing his stinging eyes to remain open – and it was just as well. He noticed the boy take advantage of the distraction and rush forward, fingers shooting out to wrap around Sirius' neck. Sirius choked, clawing at the hand which appeared to have him in an iron grip.

"You'll pay for giving me trouble before…"

James found himself frozen on the spot, the words ringing in his ears like a distant siren of warning. They were spoken with so much fury, so much hatred – in a voice that sounded so young. He had to have been at least fourteen or fifteen years of age – still a child…

James, still rooted on the spot in shock, could only stare helplessly as, a second after the words left him, the boy disapparated with Sirius still in his tight grip, leaving behind several shocked Aurors in his wake.

**

* * *

**

**A/N:** Ah, this wasn't how I originally intended on ending the chapter, but if I had continued more into it than it would've gone on for ages =P Plus I like leaving chapters with cliff-hangers – as evil as it makes me sound, hehehe!

The NEXT Chapter shall be titled, "My son?" *winkwink*

Expect that relatively soon, depending on my schoolwork.

Review if you have time! Thankies ^^


	4. Surprises a reason to live

Ignore the last author's note; I've changed my mind about the chapter title. But the content is still the same, don't worry =] Sorry about the incredibly late update – I know the chapter is a bit small, but it's the largest I could get it without being random^^; Thankyou to all those who reviewed! Sorry if I haven't replied to yours; but you all know I love you guys, right? ^^

**Warning: **There is violence in this chapter - not a heavy amount, but some that might peeve some people. I kept in mind that this is a T rated fanfic, but feel free to skip if your...squermishy.

Hope this is worth the wait =]

**Chapter Four: **_**Surprises; a reason to live again**_

_"You'll pay for giving me trouble before…"_

_James found himself frozen on the spot, the words ringing in his ears like a distant siren of warning. They were spoken with so much fury, so much hatred – in a voice that sounded so young. He had to have been at least fourteen or fifteen years of age – still a child…_

_James, still rooted on the spot in shock, could only stare helplessly as, a second after the words left him, the boy disapparated with Sirius still in his tight grip, leaving behind several shocked Aurors in his wake._

* * *

His knees weak and shaken terribly, James found himself upon the ground before he could fully comprehend the situation, his breathing heavy and erratic. Pale fingers clutched the stained ground below tightly, fingernails digging heavily into the solid brick with a complete disregard for the simultaneous cracks beginning to adorn their surfaces.

"James?"

Without looking up, James knew Remus was the one speaking. He had finally arrived, and judging by the numerous stains and ripped material of his robes, his journey hadn't been an easy one.

_Your too late, _James found himself thinking bitterly despite Remus' appearance, his fingers unconsciously tightening against the hard ground.

A hand landed gently upon his shoulder, shifting his weight slightly so that the delicate skin of his palms scraped the floor painfully. Although, James gave no sign that he had felt, or even was aware of the pain. His eyes were locked upon the spot where he had last seen his best friend, anger and distress mingling with blazing hazel.

"Kingsley just told me what happened – he said to regroup immediately. There is still a chance we can find where Sirius was taken…"

James sighed shortly, his shoulder tense under Remus' grip as he rose both hands to rub irritably at his eyes, glasses threatening to fall until Remus offered a helping hand. However, that hand was soon battered away by the former as James forced himself to stand, glaring at Remus with a fire that the werewolf wasn't all accustomed to seeing upon the face of his usually positive best friend.

"James-?"

"Where were you Remus?"

"What?"

"Where were you! We were here for _at least_ an hour! How come you didn't join us in raiding the place? Where were you when the majority of our side was falling in battle? With your help, we may have been able to-" His voice caught in his throat, and James had to summon all his restrain to keep himself from descending into a coughing fit. Remus' expression was of complete shock, his lips slightly parted and his bright eyes wide. His hand had rose, as if to take place upon James' shoulder again, but it was frozen in mid action, fingers trembling ever so slightly. James sent him a look, which might've been too harsh judging by the small wince it obtained, before turning around so that his back faced the werewolf.

A part of James wanted to apologize to Remus – he was letting his emotions get the better of him, and was taking out all his anger on his friend. But the stubbornness in him kept his mouth shut. His fists clenched, disregarding the small trickle of blood flowing from an open wound just above his palm. Where he got that, James had no clue – but at the moment, he didn't care very much about his own health.

"I was sent away this morning on a special quest. A Death Eater raid, just north of here on a muggle town." The gentle tone of Remus' voice caused James to turn his head around to face him once more, his body still positioned away but his attention fully on his words. "It was given to me yesterday, before the meeting to discuss this raid." He gestured around at the wide room. James forced his gaze to meet the werewolf's, and was slightly surprised to note the hurt and grief that lingered within his eyes. "It was why I was late in coming. I tried to get my mission over and done with quickly, so that I could come here to help you guys with this situation. But look where it got me," He glanced down at his tattered robes pointedly. James took that moment to observe his friend's injuries more closely; gashes, bruises, cuts and burns adorned Remus' exposed skin, some looking severe enough to cause permanent damage. Instantly, regret began to build up within James, and his tense muscles immediately deflated. "I'm sorry James – but to be fair, I don't think my presence here would've changed the situation. I'm as useful as a flobberworm when in a state like this, as you should very well know…"

A momentary pause stretched between them, broken only when James exhaled a heavy sigh. He spun around, hazel eyes gentle and apologetic.

"I'm sorry Remus, I'm just…it's been a stressful day and…I just…" He trailed off, unable to continue.

Remus offered him a terse nod, a ghost of a smile lingering upon his lips. "It's alright James. Now come on – we need to get Sirius back."

James nodded depressingly, following Remus to the loud group of Aurors, all of whom had long since got over their shock at the situation and were now frantically discussing a solution. The loud chatter had James' headache returning with a vigour, but he forced his attention back on the situation, if only because of his determination to find his best friend.

"The apparation spells – have you tried?"

"Yes, but his magic is gone. It's just simply, vanished – I can't trace his next apparation point."

"Only a powerful wizard could withdraw their magic so easily like that…how odd…"

"There must be another way. We may have to return to Headquarters – having a full investigation could be our only option."

"We don't have time for that! For goodness sake, you heard the boy! Sirius would be dead by the time we've bloody come up with a plan!"

"Thankyou for your discretion, Roberts," Remus hissed fiercely, causing the other man to merely roll his eyes in annoyance.

"About time you got here, Lupin, you old tard-"

"Attention!" Kingsley yelled out, cutting through their growing argument. "We need to find our companion before its too late, and fighting amongst ourselves isn't going to help matters!" He gave Roberts a piercing stare, to which the latter wizard merely scowled deeply in response. "Now, we must…"

James, since Roberts' input, had blocked out any other voice contributing to their meeting, his eyes narrowed in annoyance. He never would've even _thought_ of considering this to be truth in his earlier years, but the Aurors in his department were proving themselves to be _completely_ useless, especially at this moment in time. They were trained in situations like this, but were not using their learnt talents to their advantage. It was taking all his restrain to prevent himself from yelling out at them in fury.

Separating himself from the group, James approached the entrance doors, straightening to his full height in order to look through the two levelled windows situated upon them. Raising his wand, James placed it at the centre of his palm, taking a deep breath before saying, "Point me to him…please…"

The wand, as he fully expected, remained motionless, only the faintest whispers of smoke expelling from its tip. James sighed, knocking his head against the solid wall in frustration. His heart clenched, guilt ready to swallow him alive. How on earth was he going to find Sirius? He could be _anywhere _in the world…

A continuous chant began to form in his mind, desperate and riddled with overwhelming sadness.

_I need to find him…need to find him…I can't lose another…_

James lowered his wand arm, ready to sheath the idea of using spells to find his missing friend, when a sudden jolt from the item halted his movement. The young Auror frowned, unwrapping his fingers from the smooth wood to witness the tip ignited with a brilliant golden light, sparks issuing forth into the dust coated air.

With widened eyes, James watched with clear shock as the wand spun around, circling the length of his hand several times before pointing north-west, the sparks immediately diminishing with the new direction. Slowly glancing up, James squinted into the darkness, inhaling a sharp intake of breath when two silhouetted figures in the distance came into focus.

_What on earth…_

* * *

Sirius Black had always prided himself in being able to show no weakness, even in the face of the harshest adversity, or the cruelest enemy. It was something that brought him to the top of the Auror line, obtaining respect and admiration from his peers. He always took in any pain, whether physical or emotional, in stride, never giving his opponent the pleasure of even the smallest wince or plead. But tonight, he couldn't hold in the screams bursting involuntarily from his throat as waves of unanticipated pain coursed strongly through his body. The torturing curse had come before he could even comprehend the situation he was in, catching him off guard and unprepared.

The idea of him showing such a vulnerable side to an enemy would've disgusted him to no end on any other day, but at the moment, his pride was being swallowed by suffocating pain and increasing fear. Every jolt of magic that pulsated through his veins sent waves upon waves of searing pain rushing through his limbs like an endless flow of scorching lava, encasing his insides in a burning white hot fire that sent his body convulsing and jolting like a broken toy whose tormenter had yet to neglect. His eyes consistently rolled to the darkness above, lids heavy and mind nearing the brink of insanity. With the few moments he got to think clearly, he confirmed, for certain, that not even Bellatrix Lestrange's magic was aggressive enough compared to this. Several times he attempted to roll away, reaching out blindly for his fallen wand. But a heavy boot always managed to cut through his path, bruising his stomach and cracking his numbed fingers. At one point, he heard the unmistakable snap of wood splitting in half through his haze – and that was enough for despair to flood his heart.

The spell felt like it was going on for an eternity, and Sirius was starting to think there was no hope for an end. But finally, when he was beginning to lose all hope, the spell was lifted. Sirius collapsed upon the hard ground, unable to even flick a finger to show he was still alive. His limbs felt heavy and numb. His breathing came in short gasps, his chest heaving with the short gulps of air that managed to filter through his cracked lips.

Through his blurred vision, Sirius caught sight of a head leaning over him. The glint of white visible within the faint light showed that his tormenter was still wearing his Death Eater mask, but the Auror could just imagine a look of the deepest dislike lingering beneath the concealment. A boot landed upon his throat, appearing to come out of seemingly nowhere. The pressure of its landing made Sirius gag and cough, but only briefly – he eyed the masked figure above, reflecting his gaze as severely as he could. But even he knew it was a futile attempt – his muscles were too weak to even hold a proper expression. The emerald green gaze appeared mildly curious, observing Sirius' broken body without even the smallest care in the world. His boot lifted, allowing Sirius to breath normally until it pressed down again, this time on his chest, sudden and with a strength that didn't suit the boy's small frame at all.

Sirius spluttered as a sudden hot feeling bubbled up in his throat. He turned to the side, managing to free himself from the hold. Arching his back, he spat heavily upon the ground, crimson liquid spilling from his lips. The amount shocked even him and made him more than a bit sick at the same time.

The boy laughed, the sound foreign to Sirius' ears but causing an inevitable shudder to run the length of his spine. Despite his small voice, the laugh that expelled from beneath that accursed mask was incredibly powerful, the mere sound emitting the strongest evil and malice. It was clear who he had taken as an influence in order to produce such a sound, and just the mere thought was enough to disturb him.

"Pathetic…" A harsh kick followed that word, pushing him roughly and extracting a small groan. He tried to whack at the limb, but his hand merely flopped back to the ground, useless. A silent curse later and Sirius found himself resorting back to glaring up at the boy, attempting to ignore the constant throb at his temple. "And this is the Auror who is _admired _by many, _loved_ by many, relied upon for the best missions available. The one who ruined my plans before…as it seems, I have overestimated you. My m-master has too it seems."

Although the boy made a rather good attempt at covering it up, Sirius caught the slight stumble in his reference to Voldemort. He squinted up, catching the slightly fearful look that crossed those glittering orbs moments before it was replaced by searing hatred once more. A frown crossed his lips, but he had no more time to consider what this meant before a spell caught his side and he was sent tumbling what was sure to be ten feet away, rising dust entering his lungs and coating his tattered robes.

Sirius coughed, struggling to pull himself upright but inevitably failing and collapsing to the ground again. Blue eyes flashed, and he used the little strength he had left to turn his head towards the approaching boy, fixing him with a look that would've been enough to cause a man to cower in fear despite his weakened state. The boy didn't bat a lash at it, however – he appeared more amused than anything. And this just made Sirius more furious than ever.

"You…you'll never g-get away w…with this!" Sirius ground out, his voice coming out much stronger than he intended. "You'll never…win this war. You and y…your _friends_ will be caught and your stupid excuse of a master destroyed!" The insult to the Dark Lord appeared feeble and small, even in Sirius' ears, but he knew if it were any more severe than he'd be dead long before anyone noticed where he was. Although the possibility was still high, even with that small word.

A smooth chuckle followed his words, and the boy tutted – almost in disappointment. He didn't seem any more angry than he already was; he didn't seem inclined to defend his leader, and that confused Sirius.

"And the same old lines are used once again in desperate situations. And I thought you were smarter than the rest – apparently, I was wrong, once more. When will you people learn just how wrong you are? Bow down to your superiors now while you have the chance, for that is the only way you'll survive this world in the new darkened future. Well, I suppose not you specifically, Mr Black – you won't even survive this night, as long as I'm alive!"

_Which won't be long, _Sirius thought viciously. He reached out as quickly as his exhausted limbs would allow and managed to grab one part of his broken wand. The tip nicked his finger, but Sirius hardly noticed as he made one last valiant attempt to keep his life – he jumped out at his opponent, who was too surprised by this sudden show of strength to defend himself immediately. He knew it was a stupid thing to do, but if it would buy him some time, it was worth it. The broken wand part managed to slash against the boy's exposed beck, causing a deep gash to appear. A yell later and the boy had jumped back, pushing Sirius back down and pointing his ignited wand tip to his head. A shimmering acidic green light illuminated his pearl white mask, eyes glistening with rage. Sirius leaned back, his eyes closing in defeat. Only one thought lingered at the forefront of his mind as his eyes watched the glow gradually brighten from beneath his heavy eyelids.

"_James will come, I know he will…"_

* * *

"James! Where are you go-"

The call faded promptly within James' ears as he rushed forward, pushing aside shriveled bushes and the weakened branches of trees that lay in his path. His eyes were only for the fallen form of his friend. His heart almost stopped dead when he witnessed Sirius falling at the feet of his enemy, his matted hair sticking out against the deep brown mud. His entire body was broken and numbed, this fact painfully obvious even from where he ran.

_On Merlin, what has he DONE to you?_

James could hear the sound of footsteps following him, about a dozen of them, but he didn't pause once to see how far behind his companions were. His limbs appeared to move on their own accord, motivated by the green light that would soon end the life of his friend. The deeply cloaked figure was literally trembling with anger, his attention so focused upon Sirius that he clearly didn't take note of his approaching company. And James was going to take advantage of that. Slashing his wand against the air, he managed to place a large, deep gash across the boy's back as he reached the clearing, just as he was pulling his arm back for the final blow.

A scream broke the air as the boy staggered forward, his wound already leaking a crimson waterfall where he stood, colouring his robes a deeper black. James gave him no time to recover before slashing his wand again, his anger clouding the need for a fair fight. There was a sickening crack and the boy gasped. He spun around, revealing his severely bent left arm, which appeared to sway without any bone support. It was broken.

Burning emerald locked briefly with infuriated hazel, moments before the boy sent a swift spell directly aiming for James' heart. It was black and purple, a dark spell that the Auror recognized as a slicing curse. James just managed to dodge it, the spell only able to catch the tips of his fingers. His hand burned as his fingers seared with pain, but he didn't spare it a single glance.

The boy was sending spell after spell and James was deflecting them with practiced ease, retaliating with his own when given the chance. It was rare but enough for him to make an attempt. Trees shattered, bushes exploded in flames and animals scattered, their small forms desperately attempting to avoid the onslaught. They were highly distracting, but the boy's eyes were only for James, their depths burning with emotions that not many recognized but knew were valid.

After several minutes of the exchange, a stream of spells shot out from James' right, lighting the entire area in a veil of the deepest red. The boy's eyes flashed and he dived swiftly to the side. The spells collided simultaneously on the same spot he had stood in moments before, making a small crater upon the earth. James frowned, finding himself slightly annoyed by the intrusion.

With what sounded suspiciously like a war cry echoing from the back of the group, the Aurors came into view, lead by Kingsley and Remus, each of whom held equal looks of determination and worry. Every wand was raised, every tip pointed directly towards their opponent. Sparks were shooting up into the sky, alerting the rest to their find.

The boy, James was certain, was scowling disdainfully at them, his fingers tightening considerably around his raised wand. Whether this was because he was readying himself for another attack, or attempting to withhold the pain he was clearly in, was not certain. But no one was willing to take any chances.

The boy managed the straighten, his body twisted slightly to the side. James knew immediately what he was about to do, seconds before the Aurors realized it.

"Oh no you don't…" One muttered, and sent a bright golden spell heading directly for his chest. The boy, of course, attempted to dodge the spell, but with his injuries it was easier said than done. The spell only managed to hit his arm, but that was enough for it to take immediate effect. A gold glow surrounded him, and a yell of fury was heard, echoing in the night air.

The fact that he could no longer apparate away from the fight spurted a new amount of courage within James, and he immediately went for another blow, his arm moving with a grace that many Aurors in training would envy to emit a silver spell. But his opponent was already ready, and blocked it before it could make contact with his leg. Another curse immediately followed. James jumped to the side, but the ball of vivid bronze appeared to follow his movement and hit his foot with a small crack.

Pain exploded from his right leg, gradually beginning to move from his toes to his ankles, each inch accomplished more excruciating than the last. James gasped heavily, stumbling back into a thick oak tree as his lack of balance threatened to topple him. His wand was forcefully pulled out of his grip by what felt like an invisible hand and landed gracefully within the boy's outstretched, unharmed hand.

There was a moment of silence, upon which the boy seemed to consider James thoroughly, the latter preparing himself for the kill shot. But it was short lived, for the other surrounding Aurors were not quite done with the battle. Stupefying spells littered the skies, forcing them to break eye contact. The boy moved back, able to avoid the forefront spells – but one stray spell from the second wave managed to hit just to the side of his face. It would've affected him, had the spell not hit his mask instead; the strings holding it snapped, sending it flying off to the side in a white blur. Another spell collided with it before it could hit the ground, effectively shattering the mask into a dozen small pieces, near impossible to piece back together.

"_NO!"_

The cry filled the air as the boy tried desperately to cover his face soon after the collision – but he left it a moment too late and the damage was already done.

James froze, his fingers unconsciously tightening around the trunk behind him. The Aurors stopped dead in their assault, faces reflecting similar expressions of shock and disbelief, and even the occasional flicker of suspicion.

The moonlight was faint above, but the few shades cast down upon the clearing were enough to illuminate the familiar features of the boy; the jet black hair, clearer emerald eyes and familiar cheekbone structures. The only thing that differed him from his parents was his paled skin, the colour suggesting he hadn't been out in direct sunlight for years.

James found himself rooted to the spot, unable to move, unable to think properly. His eyes were wide, his lips parted open slightly, emphasizing his shock. His skin had paled to quite nearly the same colour as the boy's, and he looked about ready to faint at any moment.

He knew it was true. He knew only Lily died that night. No one believed him. No one thought his sanity was in check, but he knew he told the truth, in his heart of hearts. He should've been jumping for joy, like he always imagined he would be doing when this moment came. But all he could do was stand and stare, too shocked by the realization to even speak.

After fifteen years of grief, his son was proven to be alive. After all this time…

"H…Harry?" The name caught in his throat – almost like it hurt him to say, which it did in truth.

Green eyes blinked up at him through the gaps between his fingers. For a moment, fear streaked through them, but it vanished just as quickly as it appeared to be replaced by anger. A boiling hot rage that caused the majority of the Auror company to unconsciously step back. His hands fell, revealing an expression of the utmost fury.

"No...NO! This can't happen!"

Shaking his head viciously in what appeared to be disbelief, Harry lifted his hand, a sharp flick of his finger forming an immediate shield around him, its shimmering surface nearly blinding to the naked eye. Some Aurors staggered back, completely unprepared for the sudden scene, while a few kept their ground, determined – but it was only for a brief while, for soon, an invisible force sent all of them flying back into the night, the majority of them landing in a crumpled heap a good distance away from Harry and James.

James managed to hang onto the tree behind him, successfully preventing himself from following his companions. His eyes were only for Harry, whom had turned abruptly after his spell work and began to run from the scene, his steps quick but clearly uneven. Droplets followed after him from his wounds, marking his path.

Before he knew it, James was rushing after him, all the pain in his foot forgotten. He stumbled and staggered continuously but never allowed himself to fall. Vaguely, he heard someone call after him, but James barely spared them a glance as he ran into the darkness, following his son's stumbling form.

* * *

**A/N: **Only because I know people will want to question this, I will offer one piece of information; Harry's choice in apparating Sirius close to the place where the rest of the Aurors are.

See, he wanted to trick them; killing Sirius so close to where they were planning on a rescue plan would show their incompetence and ignorance of surroundings. It would humiliate them to no end and cause a lot of trouble in the department. Of course, he didn't count on James' little trick with the wand - which may be explained a little later on... ;o That's all I can say on the matter - if it makes no sense, feel free to ask, but that's as good as I can explain it at the moment.


	5. A narrow escape from the hands of evil

Thankyou to those who reviewed! I know, I'm lazy updating, but hopefully after my exams I'll have more time to post regularly. Yes, high school is a pain in the you-know-what =P Not to mention I always think my chapters are horrible and try to change things – I have to stop doing that though xD

Oh, and before I forget, there **will **be one or two major **character deaths** later on. This fic is posted under angst, please be aware of this and not hate me if someone you love goes. Its all essential to the storyline and will help things progress. I'm not saying that they will happen in this chapter, but they will happen in future ones. I'll give you warning beforehand so that you can prepare yourselves – but really, it should be expected now.

**Chapter 5: **_A narrow escape from the hands of evil_

When Sirius awoke it was to the sound of frantic whispers. The voices appeared to echo all around him in a confused jumble, overlapping each other; it was hard for him to pick out one from the rest. They all seemed to be talking about one subject, and he heard his name mentioned more than a few times along with James'.

The thought of his friend sent a jolt through his throbbing body, and Sirius immediately tried to recognize his voice among the others. Unable to do so, he felt a sudden surge of frustration and forced his heavy eyelids to open. He was met with a blinding white light that successfully extracted a small groan from his scratchy throat as he attempted to turn his head away. It was a difficult task, as the light appeared to be everywhere. He briefly wondered whether he was still outside or not.

His groan had, unfortunately, resulted in instant silence as the people around him noted his consciousness. A warm hand was promptly placed on his forehead, its long fingers trembling ever so slightly. A head moved above him. Sirius was grateful as the light dimmed to a bearable level and his blurred vision settled so that he could make out a pair of concerned golden brown eyes staring down at him.

"Sirius?" The familiar voice sounded distant. Sirius blinked, absently noting the unique features of Remus before trying to sit up on what he now knew to be an uncomfortably small bed. He was pushed down gently by another pair of hands, these ones appearing frail but containing a surprising amount of strength.

"Not now, my boy. You must rest. You were put through quite an ordeal, back then…"

Dumbledore. Sirius tried to disagree, but at Remus' sharp nod, he submitted to the request, grimacing slightly when he felt a streak of pain run along his back.

"How…how are you feeling?" Sirius could understand Remus' hesitance to ask the question – he must look like a right mess.

"Like I've been run over by a herd of Hippogriffs…" Sirius was surprised at how strong his voice sounded, albeit a bit scratchy. He tried to smile up at his friend but quashed the idea when he felt his muscles protest to the movement. His entire body was throbbing, he now realized, and his legs felt strangely numb. Experimentally, he tried to move them, but found it near impossible. "Where am I?"

"Hospital Wing, at Hogwarts. Don't worry, you are perfectly safe here." Dumbledore's voice floated above him, a hint of pity lining his words.

Sirius paused, arching his neck slightly but not succeeding in catching sight of the Headmaster. "How long have I been here?"

"Nearly a whole week, I'm afraid."

He almost cursed; that had to be a new record for him. "What…what happened?"

Remus glanced up, his forehead creasing slightly. There was a small shuffle of movement behind him before the Dumbledore himself appeared. His features were calm, but the lack of the usual twinkle in his blue eyes was indication of his worry.

"You do not remember what happened last night?" he questioned softly, white eyebrows rising. He didn't appear surprised – in fact, he looked rather relieved.

Sirius frowned slightly as he attempted to remember. What had happened last night…

"I remember…a few things…" he started softly, bowing his head. "We…" A cough interrupted him. Remus opened his mouth, looking about ready to tell Sirius to stop, when the latter wizard raised his hand. It dropped not long after, too weak to be held up. "I can tell him…" He shifted so that he was facing Dumbledore more, grey eyes piercing his soft gaze. "We were…on a raid. We had to enter this…muggle building. There were Death Eaters inside…Lestrange…" A scowl twisted his lips at the memory of his cousin's insane features. "There weren't a lot…just enough to hold their ground…" He paused, a sudden feeling of nausea overcoming him. "There was a boy in there too…no older than fifteen, maybe even sixteen…" He caught Remus glance up at Dumbledore again, his expression one of alarm and grief. He frowned, looking between the two wizards in confusion. "He tortured me…threatened to kill me…he seemed to be determined to rid of me…but…I don't think…I've ever met him before…"

Remus suddenly bowed his head, his thin hair falling to cover his face – but it failed to mask the glint that shone from under his eye. Sirius was more than shocked to see tears falling from his friend, landing with a noticeable smudge upon the white sheets of the bed.

"Remus? What's wrong?" His friend didn't respond, but the inquiry appeared to make him more upset. Sirius looked desperately to Dumbledore, whose gaze was lowered in sadness. "What's going on?"

A sigh fell from the powerful wizard and he sat back, observing Sirius almost sympathetically. For the first time in months, Dumbledore looked every one of his hundred or so years. "I'm afraid we have much to talk about Sirius, and not all of it is pleasant…"

* * *

_The night before…_

"_Stupefy!_ Leave me ALONE!"

The scarlet spell collided with a tree several feet away from James, easily missing him. Taking refuge behind a wall, the young Auror chanced a glance at the retreating Harry, ignoring the constant throbbing of his foot. It was searing with pain every moment he put pressure on it, but James found himself unable to pay attention to anything but his newly found son. It still amazed him to no end that he was here, right now – his presence brought up a number of questions. But he couldn't get answers for any of them until he had Harry under control; which would take some time, judging by his attitude right now.

The young boy looked absolutely furious. He was hunched over, the pain in his back clearly slowing him down and causing him some distress. His wand and James' wand was held in both his hands – although his left arm was still severely bent, he was still somehow able to maintain a strong grip on it. Both wand tips were ignited with a white glow that threatened a stream of curses if James so much as spoke to him. Fortunately, he had enough sense to stay his ground and wait for the opportunity to step forward – if indeed there came a time…

Trying the keep his breathing as slow and silent as possible, James straightened his back against the high wall, ensuring his form was shrouded in shadow. Harry had led him back to the building that had started this entire ordeal, which had initially surprised him. Harry appeared determined to lose him or scare him off – but did he really think this one story building was going to help him achieve this?

Narrowing his eyes on his son, James watched intently as Harry glanced to and fro, his wands drawing a perfect circle around him as they aimed at anything that so much as shuddered in the night. After a minute of strained silence, Harry finally moved, screaming in annoyance. He ran towards the building entrance, wincing as he banged his shoulder against one of the doors and entered the room within. James waited a moment before following him, opening the door an inch to peer at his son's activities.

Harry had approached the fallen form of a Death Eater leant against the far wall and was currently rummaging in his pockets, cursing and throwing objects off to the side. James wasn't sure of what he was doing, but wasn't about to pass up the chance of taking the boy by surprise. He had his back turned to the Auror. It was rather silly of the boy, but his frantic state must've consumed his common sense.

Silently slipping into the room, James crouched slightly before inching forward. He had made it halfway towards Harry when the boy pulled at something at the Death Eater's belt. Turning around, he briefly met James' eyes before squeezing tightly at what looked like a simple blank piece of parchment. But when the paper began to shimmer, James instantly knew it was anything but.

Portkey.

Gasping, James crossed the gap between them, grabbing Harry's injured arm without a second thought. Harry winced violently, his grip on the parchment loosening slightly. James reached out and pulled at the thin paper, tearing it in two. Slapping at Harry's hand while the boy tried to push him off, James let out a slow breath as he witnessed the shredded paper flying off to the side. It made contact with the fallen Death Eater, and not a second after touching his robes vanished in sparks of gold and silver.

"Damn it!" Harry's free arm had slammed down at the now vacant spot not a moment after the body disappeared. He turned to face James, his face absolutely livid with rage and...was it fear? ""Potter, go AWAY! Get OFF ME!"

"Harry, you need to calm down, now! The Aurors will kill you if you don't stop this!" James tried desperately to reason with the struggling boy, managing to successfully hold him in place by keeping a firm grip on his injured arm. He tightened his hold upon the limb, unconsciously pulling it back. Harry hissed in pain and James felt a brief stab of guilt.

"Like you won't do so anyway," Harry snarled in response, kicking up and catching James between the legs. James doubled over in shock but regained his composure quickly, pinning Harry to the ground by pushing his elbow down on the boy's chest. Harry gasped, continuing to struggle even when James' full weight was pushed down on him.

"Harry, you can make this easy or hard! Whether you like it or not, your coming with me!"

"Now, now, Potter, is that the right way to treat family?"

James froze. That voice…it sent shivers raking down his spine and seemed to create an atmosphere of death and despair. Dark power licked the air, threatening to consume him. Harry stopped struggling and seemed to deflate within James' hold, the anger leaving his features to be replaced with pure and utter fright.

James turned around almost hesitantly, his features passive but his insides burning with hate.

Lord Voldemort stood at the other end of the room, flanked by at least a dozen other Death Eaters. His blood red eyes watched the pair of them closely, clearly amused, his thin lips twisted into a cruel smile. Waist length black hair escaped the confines of his drawn hood, flowing in an unfelt breeze. His dark silken robes blended in perfectly with that of his followers, but his sharp almost aristocratic features could not be mistaken. High cheek bones cast shadows across his pale skin, adding to his already imposing structure.

James glared vehemently at the Dark Lord. The death of Lily still affected him considerably, but being faced with her killer just added insult to injury. Grabbing hold of his wand, which Harry had long since disposed of since Voldemort had made his presence known, James attempted to stand. But his foot had reached its limit and collapsed before he could pull himself upright. He landed in an undignified heap, within which he tried to quickly get himself out of. Voldemort merely smirked while the Death Eaters sniggered viciously, their dark eyes glittering with sadistic mirth from under their silver masks.

"A pathetic display, Potter. And here I thought the Ministry trained you Aurors to fight even the toughest of wizards without showing a glimpse of weakness. Clearly, they have failed with you, if a mere _child_ has managed to bring you to your knees." Voldemort mocked, his long finger caressing his lowered wand almost threateningly.

James scowled deeply, grabbing hold of the nearest wall to haul himself to his feet, ignoring his shaking foot. Harry immediately scuttled from beneath him. He was halfway towards the opposite door when an invisible force seemed to stop him in his tracks, causing the young boy to gasp loudly and fall back against the wall.

"Where ever do you think you're going, Harry?" Voldemort called softly, his eyes flashing dangerously. "I came here personally to ensure your safety. You wouldn't want my journey to be for nothing, now would you?"

Harry bowed his head, appearing to calmly agree with the Dark Lord. But James could see that he was shaking, no matter how slight it was.

"You're not taking him anywhere!" James raised his wand, keeping it steadily aimed at the Dark Lord. The Death Eaters had all directed their own wands towards him in retaliation, but Voldemort remained still, looking almost bored with the proceedings.

"I'm afraid you're in no position to make such claims, Potter," he replied calmly, glancing down at James' broken leg pointedly. "Besides, do you really think it would be wise for you to fight me for someone who wants nothing more than to escape your very presence? He may be your son, but his loyalty will never lie with you. You are nothing to him."

James tried not to let Voldemort's words get to him, but it was difficult. There was a certain amount of truth to them that he hated to admit. Harry had never known him – he had never known Harry. They were virtually strangers. Was it worth fighting for him?

_Yes,_ James thought defiantly, narrowing his eyes. He would make up for lost time. He would do whatever it takes to show Harry how much he was loved, how much he was cared about…

Voldemort appeared to take James' determined expression as an unspoken answer. He shook his head, looking almost disappointed. "When will people like you learn that some things are better left untouched, hm? You're fighting a losing battle, Potter. I suggest you back down now, before you do something you will sorely regret…"

James responded to this by pulling back his wand, preparing to cast. But before the spell could leave him, Voldemort had flicked his wand, sending James flying backwards. He crashed into a nearby trashcan, the impact causing his whole body to arch backwards.

"And once more, Gryffindor bravery proves its stupidity." In four even strides, Voldemort had approached James, his wand tip digging into the Auror's neck heavily. James coughed but showed nothing more of his discomfort. "What do you say, Potter? Would you prefer a quick death, or a slow one? Fortunately for you, I'm feeling particularly merciful tonight…"

James resisted the urge to spit at the Dark Lord. "Go to hell, you bastard," he snarled, knocking the wand away from him. Or at least attempted to – it held steady within the Dark Lord's grasp, the tip igniting dangerously.

"Your wish." Voldemort sneered, taking several measured steps back and aiming directly for the Auror's heart. James barely had time to straighten before the spell came rushing at him, the short distance allowing for a direct hit.

Which never came.

A split second before the spell could make contact with James' chest, it halted in mid air. The deadly purple glow that surrounded the bulb shimmered briefly before vanishing altogether, leaving a twirl of silver in its wake.

James blinked, momentarily surprised. Glancing up, the first thing he noticed was that Voldemort had turned slightly away from him, his attention directed off to the side. The expression he held was full of anger and deep irritation. A gasp emitted from the side, followed closely by a low thud. Alarmed, James spun around to see Harry knelt upon the floor, his fingers clenching the sides of his head tightly. A quietly stretched groan showed his pain.

Before James could react, Voldemort had approached the fallen boy. James barely restrained himself from launching himself at the Dark Lord as the man's long fingers twisted into Harry's unruly black locks, yanking up and causing him to wince heavily.

"You dare interfere…" Voldemort hissed, his voice dangerously low. Harry appeared to hesitate before meeting the man's burning crimson gaze head on, his stare steady and unwavering. But James could see the caution and fright lingering deep in those emerald orbs.

"He…he's not worth your time…" Harry whispered, his hands gripping his robes so tightly his skin had paled.

Voldemort smirked, the action made purposely slow as he released his hold, allowing Harry to fall before him. "Perhaps not, but his death would save us some unneeded trouble, would it not? Stupid child. And to think, I thought you learnt from our last lesson…" He turned away, but not before Harry let out an ear-splitting scream. His hands had shot to his forehead, gripping his head so tightly some strands of jet black hair were ripped free from his fringe. Horrified, James saw with wide eyes a dark substance leaking from between Harry's fingers – blood. And a lot of it, dripping to the floor and staining his robes. The boy's whole frame shivered violently, almost convulsing with unbearable pain.

His eyes, once held tightly shut, suddenly snapped open and locked with James'. There was a hidden plea amongst the sea of pain – a plea the boy so desperately wanted to keep hidden, but had lost all control over.

And James' resolve snapped. His hand moved of its own accord, and before he could comprehend it, a spell had left his wand, flying at alarming speed towards Voldemort. The Dark Lord swiftly blocked it, swatting it to the side like an irritable fly. It effectively sliced a gap through the crowded Death Eaters, hitting the wall behind with a tremendous bang.

But James didn't stop with just one spell. A wave was suddenly erupting in quick succession from his wand tip, aiming at anything that moved. The Death Eaters were beginning to send their own curses back, the ferocity of their impact causing the whole building to shudder precariously. As soon as the first sign of a crack adorned the wall's already weakened surface, James knew he had to leave.

Shielding himself as best he could and using his dodging skills to his advantage, James grabbed the mask of a fallen Death Eater, tapping his wand quickly upon it with a whispered, "Portus." The mask shimmered briefly before settling down, glinting innocently up at him. A groan escaped him briefly as a dark purple curse, similar to the one Voldemort had sent at him, made contact with his side. He felt it split open but didn't dare to look and see the damage, running as fast as his broken body could go to the opposite side of the room. Soon, he had collapsed on top of Harry, the boy having eventually lost consciousness and now lay limply below. Grabbing his uninjured arm, he activated the portkey, gasping as he narrowly avoided a ferocious killing curse, courtesy of the Dark Lord. He felt the heat of the curse burn the back of his neck, a hair's breadth away from impact.

Feeling a familiar tug at his naval, the ground vanished from beneath him. The last thing he heard was a scream of rage, the sound continuing to echo horribly in his ears even when he was faced with a distraught nurse and frantic friend in a matter of seconds, darkness immediately engulfing his mind as they rushed to his aid.

* * *

_Current time_

The teacup rattled heavily within Sirius' numbed hands. His fingers were wrapped lightly around the smooth surface, threatening to release it at the slightest jolt. He tried to take a small sip from the hot liquid, but ended up sloping it down his front instead, the sudden accident burning the skin through his hospital shirt. Cursing, he reached clumsily for his wand, locating it on his bedside table and swiftly flicking it across his lap. The spilt tea immediately vanished, leaving a sudden coldness in its wake. Abandoning his attempts at calming himself, Sirius placed the cup carefully to the side, his blue gaze staring unseeingly at the open window. Sunlight flooded brilliantly from it, bathing him entirely, but he could barely feel the warmth it expelled.

When Dumbledore told him, he simply couldn't believe it. It seemed so unreal, so unexpected.

But the Headmaster had been deadly serious. And Remus' reactions during the explanation only confirmed it.

Harry was alive. He hadn't died with Lily.

_He was alive_. And Sirius found he was both happy and confused with the revelation.

Why was he kept all these years? Why did Voldemort keep him rather than dispose of him like he did Lily? What were his reasons? What was his intention?

There were too many questions and not enough answers. No doubt James would be suffering twice as much as he was with them. Sirius sighed, massaging his temples. He wanted nothing more than to see his friend, to see how he was coping. According to Remus, he had been in pretty bad shape when he arrived, Harry no better. The young man could only hope that his friend recovered and he could help him get through this.

He wasn't sure where Harry was being kept, but he had a strange feeling it was somewhere in the castle. Several times, Sirius had considered sneaking out of the wing to see his found godson, but one thought always stopped him before he could even lift a foot out of bed.

Harry had attacked him. He had almost killed him. He was the reason why Sirius was in so much pain, so much discomfort.

He knew he should feel a certain amount of hatred towards Harry. But for some reason, he simply couldn't; all he felt was a deep sense of loss. The way the boy looked at him, the way he attacked, so viciously, so mercilessly – what had he ever done to deserve it?

The doors to the wing opened, admitting several figures. Sirius recognized Remus, Kingsley and Tonks amongst them. The metamorphmagus had changed her appearance to suit to solemn mood; her hair was now a dark black as opposed to her usual bright bubblegum pink and hung sleekly to her shoulders, her eyes slanted in sorrow. Kingsley looked sympathetic, while Remus remained expressionless. Sirius knew it was for his own sake, but it irritated him nonetheless that his friend chose to close in on himself just for him. Nonetheless, he didn't bring the topic up.

"How is he?" Sirius didn't need to elaborate for the others to know who he was referring to.

"Stable," Remus replied softly. "Madam Pomfrey said he should be healed by the end of the week. He's awake now though," he added upon seeing Sirius' alarmed look.

"James is a strong person Sirius," Kingsley's deep voice intervened, his gaze piercing Sirius'. "He'll be fine."

Sirius nodded, shifting slightly to the side. "Can I see him?"

"It's probably not wise of you do so," Tonks stated, waving her wand to fill the beaker situated on the bedside table. "He's with…" She glanced cautiously to Remus, who nodded, a hardened look travelling over his features. "…him…"

Sirius froze. "Is he…"

"Still unconscious," Kingsley confirmed, his lips thinning into a stern line. "When he awakes, he won't get a pleasant awakening though, I can assure you."

Sirius sighed, leaning back on his pillow. "You won't punish him too much will you?"

"Sirius, he attacked you! He's responsible for numerous Death Eater activities over the years and he's worked with Voldemort on countless occasions-"

"He's just a child!" Sirius retorted, eyes flashing. "He could've been under a spell-"

"We detected no enchantments," Tonks interrupted, watching him with saddened eyes.

"Then he was manipulated! He's been under Voldemort's control since he was a baby-"

"Yes, that is true Sirius, but his actions were done intentionally," Kingsley narrowed his gaze on Sirius, stopping any further responses from the wizard. "He must be punished for him, its an inevitable consequence. There was no regret when he dealt with you in particular…"

Sirius looked about ready to continue arguing but thought better of it. He sighed dejectedly, rubbing his eyes. "There has to be a logical reason…" he whispered. The grief in his words was so severe Remus instinctively wrapped an arm around his friend, offering some form of comfort.

"And until we are given that reason, we must assume the worst. He will be treated like any other dangerous Death Eater. The Ministry would fire me if he was dealt with otherwise."

Sirius nodded slowly, glancing up to catch Remus' eye. The werewolf looked suddenly exhausted, his face pained and wracked with worry.

A deafening silence fell upon the room, each of its occupants caught in their own thoughts. Then, suddenly, the wing door opened and Madam Pomfrey entered. This shocked all three of the adults, seeing as the Hogwarts patron hardly ever left the hospital wing without good reason. She looked pale and strangely distant, even more so when she bustled over to run a quick check over Sirius.

"Madam Pomfrey, is everything alright?" Tonks asked gently, causing the nurse to pause briefly in her examination.

"Nothing that should concern all of us…at the moment…" She glanced quickly towards Sirius before turning towards her office. But Sirius grabbed her hand before she could move, her discrete glance not passing his attention.

"What's going on? Is it James? Is he alright?"

The patron sighed, prying Sirius' grasp off her to gently smoothen her uniform.

"It's not Mr Potter. He is stable, albeit still in need of some medical assistance. No, its…his son."

The change in mood was instantaneous, and Sirius immediately sprung forward. He would've jumped out of bed had Remus not pulled him down just in time.

"What about Harry?" the werewolf asked, his gaze weak but intense at the same time as it focused expectantly upon Pomfrey.

"He…he's awake. And…unfortunately, not as stable as his father…"

* * *

**A/N: **Keep an eye on things, everything has its significance to the story, as random as some may seem. If you have any questions, feel free to ask, but everything will be explained in due course. I just hope everything's not too confusing for people.

Review – if this is boring you, I'd like to know xD And if it's not, all the better! I would appreciate pointing out any mistakes – unfortunately, the last part hasn't been edited that closely. I'm rather tired =P Also, tell me if I should up the rating - is it too violent for a T? Let me know - I don't want to offend anyone.


	6. Awakening: Why do you care?

Thankyou for your reviews! Yes, I'm still alive – don't look so shocked xD Hope everyone had a good start to the New Year!

Oh, and just for your personal info, a part of this story was inspired by _The Darkness Within_ by Kurinoone (which is a BRILLIANT fanfic if you haven't read it), but it's a completely different take on a very slightly similar thing, as you can see, so don't think this is a copy or something. Cause it's not (:

Enjooy! Not a lot happens here, but the actiony parts will resume…soonish :D

**Chapter 6: **_Awakening: Why do you care?_

His vision was blocked, his forehead throbbing unbearably. His limbs felt like heavy weights against his sides, weights which he could hardly move as he sat motionless upon an irritably soft surface. Something akin to a large stretch of material was draped over one half of his body, and something heavy was on his left hand. He tried to slip the appendage out from under it, the feeling unnerving him, but found his movements restricted considerably. A tight feeling was terribly prominent around his chest, wrists and ankles, and the mere feel of them was enough to cause him alarm. He tried to open his eyes quickly, but found that difficult in itself. All he could manage was to slowly crack the lid, but even then he had to momentarily cower as a strong light suddenly assaulted him from above, blinding him. Spots of light appeared before him and his irises burned lightly. But he still tried to fight through the discomfort, inhaling deeply and risking another peak from the mild darkness.

He was a room – a small, narrow room that held only a scarce amount of furniture and one window that opened to the scenery of large, green grounds. He could only make out fully the dark wooden planks above him through his slightly blurred vision, as well as the straps holding him down to the bed below. The sight of the latter alarmed him so much that he immediately began to struggle, trying to wrench his limbs free from the restraints with little success. He was growing erratic, his mind in a whirlwind of thoughts as he tried desperately to remember what had happened to land him in this…place, where ever it was.

_How did I get here? What happened? Where am I? WHERE AM I?_

It took him a moment to realize that he had shouted the last question outloud, his voice rough and raspy but echoing loudly in the small space. The pressure upon his left hand hardened, and it was only then that he noticed the form sitting next to him, hunched over and surveying him with evident worry. It didn't take him long to recognize the man.

"Get _away_ from me, Potter!" he snarled, trying to snuff his mild shock and fix James with a hard glare. It clearly wasn't intense enough, for the elder Potter merely tightened his grip, wrapping his fingers securely around his wrist.

"Harry, you need to calm down. I don't know what Voldemort did to you, but-"

The sound of the name caused Harry to wince, though he didn't allow his brief show of weakness to continue.

"Didn't you hear me? Go AWAY! Leave me alone!"

A vase shattered near his head, spraying the two of them with sharp glass shards that made small cuts upon his arm.

"Control yourself! I told the Aurors not to permanently incapacitate your magic! Don't make me-"

"You can't control me with threats!" he cut through, throwing his head to the other side and facing away from James. "Just like you can't keep me tied down for long!"

James shook his head slowly, sadly. He knew that Harry wouldn't react well to him being the first person he saw, but he just had to stay with him. He was better company than any of the Aurors, either way.

Calmly, he knelt next to the bed, reaching out to feel the boy's forehead. Although he had to quickly retract his fingers when Harry abruptly turned and attempted to bite them, his emerald eyes flashing furiously.

"Don't touch me."

"Harry, things will go so much more smoother if you just cooperate-"

"I won't do anything you say!"

"You'll have to if you want to avoid-"

"Let them send me off to Azkaban, I don't care, JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"

James sighed, rubbing his temples. Harry had his stubbornness, that was for sure – it would take a while to calm him down.

Allowing a short pause to descend between them, James peered up at his son's turned face. Against the sun's streaming rays, he could just make out the faint outline of a scar. Shaped like a lightning bolt, he knew it wasn't any normal one. He hadn't noticed it in the battle due to his mask and concealing fringe, but while Madam Pomfrey was fixing the boy, she had discovered it and examined it.

A curse scar…Harry had been attacked, and that was the remnant of it. He wasn't sure how, but he felt certain that that scar was how Voldemort was able to torture Harry at the building. How, he didn't know – but it was different, and somehow connected…

Tilting his head lightly, James banished all thoughts of the strange injury in favor of examining his son once more. They looked similar after all, the only difference being Harry's neatly kept hair (though tangled with the proceedings) and those sharp emerald green eyes that seemed to know more than they should, seen more than a child should…

"Why?" The question left him suddenly in a mere whisper, barely audible, even in the empty room. Harry didn't respond, keeping his head turned defiantly. Feeling a sliver of annoyance, James darted forward and captured his chin firmly between his fingers, forcing Harry to look up. "Why are you helping that monster?"

Harry's lips tightened, and a small clunk told James he had shut his teeth, refusing to speak. Releasing his chin, he instead grabbed the boy's shoulders, shaking them as much as he could with the restraints. "Why Harry? And tell me also why you hate me so much!"

"I don't-" Harry shook his head aggressively, covering his slip with a sharp glare and a small sneer. "Its none of your business what I do with my life."

"IT IS! I'm your father damnit!"

"YOU'RE NOT! You haven't been my father for fifteen years!"

"That was no fault of my own!"

"It…no, I suppose not…"

James blinked, surprised at the sudden change of tone as Harry's voice softened.

"No, it wasn't your fault…it was that bastards…"

Harry was clearly muttering to himself, disregarding James once more as he turned as lay his cheek upon the pillow.

"Who are you talking about Harry?" he asked, trying to keep his voice gentle.

Harry scowled. "No one!"

James held in his frustration and merely nodded, albeit curtly. "Fine." He paced to the foot of the bed, turning so that he could face the young boy fully. "But you will have to tell me something eventually. The Aurors let me stay here on one condition; that I interrogate you."

"Is this how you treat all patients who are recovering?"

"You seem perfectly recovered to me."

"Well I'm not, damnit! I've got a bloody headache, and guess what; you're causing it!"

James rolled his eyes, rubbing them tiredly from beneath his glasses. Perhaps he needed time to cool off…

"Okay then, alright. But just tell me one thing." He leaned forward, hands pressing down on either side of Harry, demanding his attention. "You singled out Sirius. Unlike the others, you took time to personally torture him. Why?" His voice trembled slightly, his friend's pain filled form still prominent in his mind, if there was one thing he could hate Harry for, at this moment, it was torturing Sirius, almost killing him. And he didn't think the act was in any way forgivable – unless he had a valid reason. Though James doubt he did; Sirius was carefree, a pleasant and humorous person to be around. Who could hate him so much?

Harry's eyes narrowed into near slits, and the emerald within them seemed to burn with an unwavering amount of hatred. The look was so shocking that James had to rear back an inch, his face revealing mild surprise.

"He deserved what he got."

"You didn't answer my question."

"I don't need to."

"Harry, Sirius is my friend, your godfather-"

"And does it look like I care?"

"You must've had a reason for doing what you did to him-"

"Didn't I tell you that nothing I do is any of your business?"

"Harry-"

"Will you just-"

"I'm not leaving until you tell me!" James suddenly yelled, grabbing the boy's arms in a vice grip. With his restraints, Harry could do nothing but endure the resulting pain.

Sneering deeply, he gazed up at James, hesitating briefly before replying simply, "He was becoming a nuisance."

"Is this because of Johnson? How Sirius interfered with your initial plans for him?"

"…yes."

"That didn't sound in the least bit convincing," James said dryly, sending him an unimpressed frown.

"Yeah, well, it's the truth so deal with it!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"That's hardly reason enough to torture him-"

"It was to me! That's my final answer, now get o…ou…out…"

James' frown deepened when he saw Harry suddenly deflate as though he had lost all the energy in his body. His eyes dropped and his forehead crinkled, almost as though he was trying to prevent some sudden burst of pain. All anger flooding away, James reached forward and touched the boy's forehead before he could protest, right over the curious scar.

"What's wrong Harry?"

"….dizzy…leave…alone…"

He had a temperature, and his body seemed to twitch unwittingly, fingers jerking and legs bulking. James wasn't sure what was happening, but he knew immediately that he needed to get the patron back up there.

"Okay, I'll leave, but I'm sending in Madam Pomfrey, okay?"

Harry didn't respond, his head simply rolling to the side as his eyes closed and his breathing evened out. He had passed out, though his body still twitched, even in unconsciousness.

Sighing, James sent his son one last glance before turning and approaching the closed doorway. Removing the protection charms momentarily, he opened the oak wood and was immediately faced with Madam Pomfrey, who looked to be increasingly worried.

"Is he…calm, now?"

James frowned. "How much did you hear?"

"Just the ending. I just came back from the others, so don't worry, I wasn't listening for long."

"Its fine, don't worry about it. He just fainted. I don't know what's happening."

The patron sighed, entering the room and removing her wand. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thankyou. Please…make sure he gets better?"

Pomfrey gave him a piercing gaze but nodded all the same, waving him out with a quick hand movement and shutting the door firmly behind her. James stared at the door for a few seconds more before decidedly descending the narrow staircase that led to the Hospital Wing's second floor – one that Dumbledore had made especially for Harry. He would pay Sirius a visit and check back on Harry later on; hopefully his son would be more easier to talk to then...

* * *

"Hey, Prongs!"

Sirius' cheerful call reached his ears the moment he landed upon the marble flooring of the central wing, and he felt a smile immediately brighten up his face. Thanking Madam Pomfrey for her healing skills, he quickly made his way towards the bed his friend was seated in, receiving nothing more than a twitch of protest from his injured leg.

"Hey, Padfoot," he responded, engulfing the man in a tight hug as soon as he reached him.

"Woah, easy up there Prongs. Fragile here," Sirius stated in mock shock, raising his arms in a gesture of surrender.

James rolled his eyes playfully, lowering himself into a seat next to Remus, who offered him a small smile in greeting.

"The day you become fragile is the day I stop being an Auror," he said, raising an eyebrow at Sirius' mock pout. His expression soon turned saddened when he noticed the innumerable bandages and potions that surrounded his friend. "How…how are you feeling?"

"Better than before. Still got a pounding headache and all that, but I'm trying to forget about the pain. Moony is helping me by distracting me." He gestured towards the chess board lying securely on his lap, each side already deprived of half their pieces.

James rose an eyebrow at the sight. "Aren't you meant to rest and then play, Padfoot?"

"Exactly my thoughts," Remus agreed, fixing Sirius with a stern stare.

"Hey, stop being spoil sports. Do you honestly expect me to just lie here and do nothing with only the sun entertaining me?" He shook his head in playful horror. "Oh, and speaking of 'sons'…" His amusement suddenly faded and his face turned serious as he looked at James expectantly. Remus followed suit, his golden eyes dulled and foreboding.

"He's…stable," James responded calmly, fingering the hem of his shirt.

"Really? But Madam Pomfrey said he wasn't…"

"Well, maybe, either way, I don't know." He shook his head roughly, raking a hand through his messy locks.

"He'll be fine," Remus tried to assure, a ghost of a smile flickering briefly upon his lips. "Did he…did he say something…"

"Only how much his despises my company."

Sirius grimaced. "Well, I'm sure its just his shock getting to him."

"Maybe…but it still tears my heart apart."

Remus placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. "Did he say anything else? Did you do what the Aurors told you to do?"

"I tried…he's a stubborn child though and won't tell me anything. It was rather irritating."

"Its okay James, I'm sure he'll tell you, especially if he wants to avoid the Aurors." Sirius waved his hand dismissively, taking a sip from a clear glass on his bedside table that seemed to be filled with a thick black substance. He grimaced as soon as it slipped past his lips, making his face twist horribly. "That's disgusting…"

James surveyed his friend carefully, a small frown pulling at his lips. "You're taking this surprisingly well Sirius. I'm surprised that you're not nearly as angry as you have a right to be…"

Sirius shrugged. "No use waving my hands and throwing stuff around when its not going to do anything, right?"

"You don't have to drown your rage just because he's Harry, my son."

"I'm not, its just…" Sirius sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I…want to hate him for what he did…but I…can't. Now, whenever I look at him, I see the little boy I used to play hide and seek with, who used to gurgle and laugh whenever he saw me, like I was the best godfather in the world. And…I just can't hate that little boy…"

James bowed his head, nodding slowly in understanding.

"But…he hates me…I saw it in his eyes, when we were alone. And…I don't understand why."

"He said it was because of what you did with Johnson."

"But that was just because I wanted to save a fellow Auror! Anyone would've done the same thing in my place!"

"I know…I didn't believe it either. I think…I think there's something more to this."

Remus nibbled down on his lower lip, narrowing his eyes lightly. "Maybe, as much as I oppose them, the only way we're going to get answers is through extreme measures…"

"I'm sure that's what the Ministry is going to do as soon as they get their chance with him. I don't want them anywhere near Harry, I know we can get to him, but…" James exhaled sharply, leaning his elbows against the bedside table.

"You know you can't avoid it." Remus finished, looking just as fallen as James.

"Yeah…" He leaned heavily back against the side chair, staring out of the sunlit window. "But until that time comes, I just hope he'll see reason…"

* * *

When morning came, Harry was still unconscious. James, Remus, Tonks and Sirius, much to Remus' annoyance, went up to the room with the boy in the hopes of getting more accurate information out of him. James had been hesitant at first to let Sirius come along, fearful that Harry would lash out again, but the man had assured him that the restraints would ensure his safety. Nonetheless, he added in that he would keep a safe distance, not approaching unless absolutely necessary. It was only with that reassurance that the trio allowed him to come. Tonks had to be there due to Kingsley insisting another Auror accompanied them, but she also promised that she would give them their moment and not interfere like any other Auror would. James appreciated her presence, for she was knowledgeable in some healing spells – if Sirius fell, she could help him until Madam Pomfrey came back from shopping for new supplies. Dumbledore had wanted to join but had to attend some other business which involved Severus Snape – James and Sirius had not been pleased to know that the man was still at the school – and instead asked them to tell him any significant pieces of information. James had promised, though he was certain he'd return to the man with empty hands, despite his efforts.

Currently, the four of them were in deep conversation over cups of steaming tea, sipping rarely and speaking in short whispers. They had little reason to stray away from their topic, though found one soon when a drawn out groan emitted weakly from the single bed ahead.

"Stupid-"

Harry blinked when his eyes flew open to reveal the four people in front of him. His eyes darted back and forth amongst them, establishing their identity with a hint of caution. First Potter, than Tonks, then Remus, then…

The sight of Sirius Black caused him to immediately rear up, his teeth bared and his face contorted into a look of pure rage.

"What the _hell_ do you think _you're_ doing here?"

"Harry, calm down," James said quickly, misunderstanding his question to be directed towards everyone in the room. "We gave you your rest, but now I really think you need to-"

"GET OUT! If I'm going to be a prisoner, let me be an isolated one!"

"Mr Potter, you are not-"

"Shut up!" He glared furiously at the witch, eyeing her now drawn wand. "What, you think I'm going to attack you, stuck like this?"

"Harry, please, just act reasonably!" James almost pleaded, cautiously reaching for his own wand.

"Stop talking to me!"

"We can help you!" Sirius added, gazing down at him forlornly. "We care about you, so please-"

"No, you don't," Harry stared straight into Sirius' deep blue eyes, holding the wizard in place. "You don't fool me, _Black_. What, you think I'm an idiot? You think I can be persuaded to believe you after everything!"

"Wh…what are you talking about?" Sirius looked completely baffled, confusion evident upon his handsome features. "I…don't understand…"

Harry snorted, turning away and glaring at the parted window. "Go ahead, continue with your lies. I know the truth when I see it."

Sirius exchanged a glance with James and Remus, none of whom could offer him any explanation.

"Up here for another interrogation session?" Harry snapped after a moment of tensed silence, refusing to look at anyone. "Don't waste your breath; you know you can't break me."

James sighed for what felt like the umpteenth time that day, approaching the stilled bed with a hint of unease. "You need to answer our questions. If not, the Ministry will get their hands on you and-"

"What do you care?"

"What…?"

"What do you care what happens to me? You've barely met me; you don't know a thing about me, nor about the majority of things I've done. Why do you care so much about me? You shouldn't…you can't…"

James felt his breath hitch in his throat, his eyes beginning to sting, but he successfully prevented any clear emotion to break his impassive façade. "I've been waiting, hoping for so many years, that you hadn't died that night. I knew the moment they told me your body wasn't found in the ruins of our house that there was a chance, no matter how slim, that you were still with us, that you still lived. And now…here you are in front of me. A Death Eater you may be. But your still my son, first and foremost…and I still care about you…"

Harry glanced up, his eyes still narrowed but his gaze less intense than previously. "You won't any more once you know the truth…"

James opened his lips to respond, but before he could, the door opened and an exhausted Kingsley Shacklebot entered the room.

"Kingsley? Why are you here?" Tonks approached him warily, her hair turning a dulled pink in her worry.

Kingsley didn't immediately reply; instead, he leaned over to regain his breath, waiting several moments before straightening and whispering something in the witch's ear. Tonk's eyes widened marginally and she drew back, shock prominent upon her heart-shaped face.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. His guards have just informed me."

"But it's too soon!"

"He wants the meeting now."

"What's going on?" Remus intervened, standing and clutching the arm of a still rigid Sirius.

Tonks turned, her expression frantic. "The Minister's here."

"What?" James exclaimed, staring at her as though she'd lost her mind. "Already? They told me he'd be here in a week!"

"Apparently, he doesn't trust you to handle things correctly, James," Kingsley leveled him with a hard stare, crossing his arms. "The guards have been informing him that your much too soft-"

"I'm handling the situation perfectly well!" James retorted, a sudden surge of fury consuming him.

"That may be so, but nevertheless, the Minister is here and he expects the boy downstairs."

Harry's head shot up, ecstatic at the thought of finally being freed.

"But don't get your hopes up; we've got the whole place covered with Aurors and barriers, so you won't be able to escape quite so easily." He added, causing Harry to scowl.

"Surely we can post-pone-"

"No, James. No more arguments. He will either be sentenced to life or given the Kis-"

"He's still a minor-!"

"But his crimes are still terrible. I warned Sirius of this, and now I'm warning you, James – he must pay for his crimes. Surely you'd agree."

James looked about ready to continue arguing, but after finding no inspiration, he merely hunched over, nodding reluctantly. "Yes…I know. But…he still needs his trial…"

"That can be arranged. Things will go accordingly, don't worry. Now bring him down, or else Fudge will lose it. He's already swinging that bowler hat of his around much too hard…"

James nodded forlornly, turning to face Harry. As much as he wanted to simply push the Minister out of Hogwarts' gates, he knew he couldn't. He'd be fired from his job for even thinking it.

"I guess we'll see where you end up now…"

Harry rolled his eyes, looking to all the world bored with the proceedings. "Whatever happens, so be it; I've been in worse situations."


End file.
